


The Stories That Make Us

by BundyShoes



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, One Word Prompt Meme
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-20 08:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 34,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BundyShoes/pseuds/BundyShoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A One-Word Challenge that I wanted to take up. Golden Swan all the way</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions

1\. First Impression

 

When she first laid eyes on him, she was curious. The rest of the town seemed to hate him, if one went by Granny and Ruby's reaction to his presence. But when he said her name and smiled at her…something inside her told her to be aware of this man.

When he first saw her, he could only see his hope flare in front of his eyes. The Savior had come.


	2. Beautiful

2\. Beautiful

She truly was beautiful, he would think. Long flowing hair, piercing eyes, fit body. When she smiled, and it was a rare sight for him to see, it lit up the normally dreary pawn shop. Sometimes he'd catch himself watching her, lingering thoughts of _what ifs?_ and _maybe's_ would cloud his mind. He'd have to wrench himself away and force himself to remember what he was doing, what needed to be done.

He couldn't afford to be swayed by the beautiful Savior. He had a job to do.


	3. Mock

3\. Mock

 

His smiles always seemed to mock her. Whenever she'd think she had finally one-upped him, he'd smile that damn smile and she'd second-guess herself. She felt like she could never match him, never understand what he thinks. He always seem to be one step ahead and she just wants to catch up.

(what she doesn't know is that she can see right through him and the smile is just a mask. it terrifies him that she can read him so clearly)

 


	4. Smile

4\. Smile

 

She was sitting at the bar, a hot chocolate with cinnamon steaming in front of her, untouched. Her head was in her hands and _'Stay away from me'_ vibes emanated from her in waves. Everyone respected her wishes and stayed clear away. Even Ruby didn't stick around to chat after placing the drink in front of the Sheriff. 

He, however, ignored it and sat right next to her.

"Go away," she growled. "I don't want to deal with you right now."

He chuckled. "Now, dearie, is that something to say to someone only looking out for your best interests?" he set his cane on the counter, pretending to not see Granny's death glare.

"You set fire to the Mayor's Office. _Again_." She groused, her face still resting in her hands.

He smirked, "Only a little."

She finally moved, spinning around to look at him, "Do you understand the crap storm that puts me in?! Regina is on my ass now, because of your 'little' vandalism act!" she aired quoted.

He grinned and leaned closer, "Admit it, Sheriff, it was funny to watch Regina running around with her perfect hair singed." She could only gape at him.

"I- that's not--." She stopped, his expression cutting through her. She reluctantly relented, "Yea, okay." She turned back forward, trying to hide the small smile that snuck on her face.

He saw it anyway.


	5. Feather

5\. Feather

 

As the debris settled all he could see was her prone form laying on the ground. He scrambled to her body, a panic gripping his mind, all he could do was _get to her_. He collapsed next to her, his eyes glued to her soot and dirt covered face. She was knocked unconscious, and she was injured. Badly. She needed medical attention, and he couldn’t do that here. He needed to move her to Granny's.

He called forth every bit of power and magic in him to reach out and pick her up. Surprisingly she lifted easily, and he wondered if it was because she literally weighed nothing, or…

If it was because he had found the strength within himself to save her.


	6. Tease

6\. Tease

 

He had his back to the door, so he couldn’t see her when she walked in. Her step was slow, and he expected her to stop halfway. She surprised him though, when he felt her breath on the back of his neck.

"So you want my forgiveness, huh?"

He almost turned around. He wanted to. _Very badly_. But something told him not to. That, and her body was pressing him forward into the counter.

So instead he just nodded his head.

She leaned in closer, "How badly?" she murmured into his ear. He opened his mouth to respond, but for a moment his words escaped him. When she pressed her lips to his neck he let out a shaky "Very, _very_ badly, love."

He felt her grin. He wanted to turn around really badly.

She moved closer, her lips going back to his ear. He waited with anticipation, holding his breath, wanting to see where she'd take this. She licked her lips and he couldn’t suppress a shiver as it brushed his skin.

"Then stop teepeeing Regina's house. It’s a lot of paperwork and it makes my life hell."

By the time he realized what she had said and had turned around, she was already out the door and to her car. He tried to resist it, but thankfully no one saw him pouting within the confines of his shop.

"…tease…"


	7. Pure

7\. Pure

Despite her harsh childhood and bang-up past, he is always surprised at how innocent she is. With her golden hair and her wide eyes, she watches, mesmerized, as he conducts magic tricks. She has a childish awe about her, and he forgets that this was only something she had ever dreamed and read about. This magic and this enchantment was new and foreign to her.

Because for all her rough exteriors and tough-girl attitude, she still lit up like a star when he performed little bits of magic for her.  And when she did, she'd finally let her guard down around him and he could see her for what she really was.

The Light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, this idea kind of came from her reaction to magic in 2x09 :) She seemed to enchanted by it, it was lovely. I bet if Rumple did that in front of her, she'd react the same way. Its a great characteristic of hers :)


	8. Lie

8\. Lie

"Do tell, love: how is it that you already know about that _reptile_?" Hook sneered as they walked through the towers of gold. Emma glanced at him, wary of this topic. She still didn’t know what the _real_ issue was between Gold and the pirate, and she still didn’t know who's side she would take in the argument.

"Well…I know him over in my land. He's a powerful man over there too." Emma raised her brows at her own understatement.

She could feel him studying her profile. "When I get there…are you going to interfere with my plans?"

Emma kept her face blank, "And what exactly are your plans for him?" She held her breath.

Suddenly his mouth was right next to her ear, his hook right under her chin. She stopped dead as he whispered, "I'm going to _gut_ him, from stern to stem." His voice was deadly and she could detect only truth in his statement. That’s exactly what he intended to do. He leaned away from her and she took that chance to breathe.

"Does he mean anything to you, that you would risk your life to save him?" a little mocking smirk teased her, and she felt the realization sink in that she couldn't trust this man at all.

"No. He doesn’t."


	9. Fight

9\. Fight

She stood still, keeping all her senses on the environment around her. She tried to focus, tried to concentrate. Something was coming, she could feel it. It was happening, and it was--!

She whirled around, her sword clanging against metal. He taunted her with a giggle, sliding his blade against hers. She snarled at him and lunged. He kept dodging her and kept backpedaling away. She kept coming forward. She aimed him at the tree, hoping to corner him. But as soon as they got near it and she thought she had him, he pivoted on his heel and swung around, switching places with her. And suddenly her back was up against the tree and his body was pressed flush to hers.

His sword was still crossed with hers and aligned with her throat.

Her chest heaved, and with every breath she could feel him press closer. She glared up at him, wiggling to try and get away, but he only grinned down at her. He seized up at her, the swords flat on her neck. It felt like he was trying to combine them with the tree, the way he pinned her there. Her breathe caught at the lack of distance between them.

"You wanna back up a bit?" she snapped at him. He giggled, still looming over her, "I win again, princess."

"You got lucky," she spat. He cocked his head at her, "Oh, do you want another go?" He winked at her and she shot him a feral grin. "Can you handle it, old man?" He smirked, and leaned in closer. Her breathing stopped in anticipation as he neared. But right before he reached her, she found herself being pulled away from the tree. Her sword was tossed at her and it was then she realized that he had taken it.

Catching it, she shot him a look before turning around to get in place.

To say she was shocked when he tapped her rear with his blade was an understatement. She spun around, an indignant blush coloring her face. He gave her an innocent expression, but his eyes sparkled mischievously and she knew better. She whacked him with the blunt side of her sword.  Ignoring his laughter, she walked back to her place to start the sparring over again.


	10. Evasion

10\. Evasion

"You're a coward."

Her words catch him off guard. He stops in the middle of his speech to look over at her. She stares at him with wide eyes, as if she's seeing him for the first time. He feels his heart drop at her expression.

He never wanted to see her looking at him like that. This one person in this new life that he could have been better for, that would have never known his past, his reputation. Who could've been his new start. And she was shaking her head at him, disappointed.

He felt lightheaded. He tried to swallow, to grasp his slipping control. But as she stepped nearer, he felt it whisk away. He suddenly couldn’t meet her gaze.

She reached a hand out and he held his breath. The tips of her fingers brushed his sleeve, before retreating. He could see her clenching her hand to her chest. To her heart.

He wanted to look up, but all the stares of those around them stopped him. The thought of them seeing anything less than what he's given was an absolute negative.

But he could feel her staring at him intensely. Trying to get him to look back at her.

He couldn’t do it.

"You can't run from everything, Gold."

He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing she was right, but unable to move.

She rested her hand fully on his arm, the warmth almost burning him through the material. It shocked him so much that he glanced up. A new light was in her eyes. And he realized what it meant.

She believed in him.

He needed to do the right thing.


	11. Fire

11\. Fire

He was staring at her again. It was _that_ look. The one that made her knees wobble and heat spread through her body.

A shiver laced its way down her spine. She returned his gaze, giving it as good as she got. He smirked at her response, his eyes darkening into a molten smolder. She straightened, biting her lip. She narrowed her eyes and slide off the wall, striding over to him.

His sly smile widened at her approach.

_It's on._


	12. Ice

12\. Ice

Gold came up from behind her, putting his hands hesitantly on her shoulders. She ignored him.

He let out a sigh, "I'm sorry," he whispered. She didn’t say anything. He slid his hands down her arms, resting his forehead down on her shoulder. "Emma."

She still didn’t respond. "Please, talk to me." He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, before nuzzling his face into neck, breathing in her hair.

A few moments of silence with him holding his breath. She finally cracked.

"I can't believe you ate all the ice cream without me," she grumbled.

He wrapped his arms around her, "I know, love, I know. I really am sorry."

She snorted, "No you're not."

He suppressed his chuckle and just held her closer.


	13. Cheer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hints at Mad Beauty, Red Stranger, Regal Cricket, Sleeping Hook, and Dragon Warrior (Phillip/Mulan)

13\. Cheer

Emma was desperate for a drink. If not that, then a hard concrete wall that she could bash her head into. She couldn’t believe that Mary Margaret talked her into this. Of all things, _this_ was the last on her To-Do List.

A Girl's Night.

She was just not programmed for this type of thing. Mary Margaret was out of her mind.

She glanced over at her friend-- _mother_ , who was chatting with the other girls: Ruby, Belle, Aurora, Mulan (who looked equally out of sorts as well), and even Regina was there (for Henry's sake of course).

'A drink isn't gonna cut it,' she thought, miserably. Mary Margaret caught sight of her at that moment and began to pull her over to the group.

'Oh, dear God help me,' she groaned to herself as she was forcibly sat down. They were in Mary's apartment, because Snow White was always the perfect host. Emma rolled her eyes.

"So," Mary began, folding her hands primly in her lap, "How has everyone been since everything's finally starting to settle down?"

The group was now in a makeshift circle in the living room. Ruby was the first to speak up, "Well the business is still booming at the diner. August is starting to get back on his feet and he's been helping out a lot," she smiled happily. After she had found August after the curse broke, the man still had trouble with his limbs. It took a while to get the wooden feel to leave, but she stuck by him, helping him walk and move around again. She added: "We've also gotten Aurora and Mulan settled into rooms at the Inn."

"Yes, it's been an interesting time getting used to this land," Aurora piped up. Mulan nodded, "However it'd be even easier if that _pirate_ stopped dropping by all the time," she curled her lip. Aurora blushed.

"He's just trying to get back on our good side--."

"More like yours," Ruby muttered under her breath.

Aurora ignored her, continuing with a slight blush, "Especially after Cora's defeat and his inability to get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin," she hurried out. "He's got nothing now," she said softly, glancing at Emma. The blonde pretended to not see.

She knew what she was getting at. Emma had refused Hook's attempts to kill or harm Gold, standing in the way and fighting him till he backed down. The pirate did so only when Emma finally resorted to death threats herself. The Charming daughter had the whole town at her back, no matter what her decision (even that of protecting Rumplestiltskin's life) and the pirate knew when to retreat. Now he spent his time swapping insults with the imp whenever he was in the vicinity.

And it seemed that lately the only time he was friendly was in the presence of the sleepy princess. It seemed as though he had grown fond of the girl he'd stolen a heart from.

"You know Phillip does not like that vagabond around you. He's a horrible influence," Mulan chided. Aurora flushed, "Phillip does not have say in my life any more, Mulan." She amended her statement, "Besides, he has you now to worry about," the princess smiled coyly.

Emma was shocked when red tinted the cheeks of the warrior. The girl had never shown such emotion before.

Belle saved her from further embarrassment, turning to Regina. Everyone was still on shaky ground with the former Queen, but they were all trying to be cordial.

"And how have you been, Regina?" at the sharp glance from the older woman, the brunette floundered, "I mean, you seemed to have a…uh, complex relationship with your mother."

Emma snorted, ' _That's one way to put it._ ' Regina chose to ignore the blonde. "I've been doing fine, Belle," she began stiffly, "Dr. Hopper has been very accommodating with helping me in our sessions."

Belle smiled warmly, "Has he? How is Dr. Hopper, anyway?"

A small smile appeared at the corner of the Mayor's mouth and an unfamiliar soft look entered her eyes, "He seems to be doing well," she murmured. A silence filled the room as everyone stared, awestruck, at the usually cold woman. The soft look immediately vanished to be replaced with a harsh glare, " _What?_ " she bit out.

"N-nothing!" Mary Margaret began, wanting to keep everything peaceful. Emma stomped all over that plan however, "It's just weird to see you caring for someone's wellbeing other than your own." She matched the scowl Regina threw at her, not backing down an inch.

"At least I can admit when I've changed, Miss Swan," she spat.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Oh please!" Regina scoffed, "Like you haven't been secretly meeting with the man you swore you abhorred!" Emma quirked an eyebrow, but Regina wasn't fooled. She could see the curl of dread beginning in the blonde's eyes. When Emma darted a glance at the book-loving brunette in fear, she knew she had hit the nail on the head. Never one to leave loose ends, she leaned forward in her seat, keeping everyone on edge in anticipation.

"A certain manipulative imp, if you recall?" she smirked maliciously.

"It's only for magic lessons," Emma quickly replied before anyone could say anything. Regina scoffed again, reclining back to watch the show unfurl.

Ruby sent Emma a wolf-like grin, "Oh really? And just what kind of magic are you creating?" she wiggled her eyebrows and Emma hated the heat that she felt on her cheeks. "None!" she denied.

Mulan looked confused, "Why would you willingly spend time with that snake?"

"He's not a snake, he's just…" she thought about it, "Okay, maybe he is a snake," she conceded, "but he's not all bad, alright! His methods may be questionable, but," she lifted a shoulder, "he has good results."

She shot a scowl at Ruby when the wolf split another grin. "Don't!"

She felt a hand on hers, silently asking her to look up. Mary Margaret's face greeted her, "Emma, if there is more to say, you can tell us. We're all friends here." She paused, "I would like to think you could tell us anything, at least me, if there was someone special to you."

Emma paused, speechless. She thought about what to say, but it was such a complex thing, she couldn’t even fathom the words to describe what was between her and Gold. She didn’t _know_ what it was.

"I'm…not sure, really. Sometimes I think there might be something, but…" She thought of how he was around her, and how she reacted to his presence. After the breaking of the curse and finally getting back to Storybrooke, they had begun to spend so much time together. It had taken a while, but Emma felt as though they had reached a place of trust and companionship. He had taught her how to wield her magic and she had started to help him find his son. And somewhere in between…

Something in her expression must've told them something, because all of a sudden a wave of sighs overcame the group. Startled, Emma glanced up. Mary Margaret squeezed her hand, "Dear…" her eyes softened with a motherly glow, "You're in love."

Emma scoffed, "What? No I do--…" she trailed off, the words dying in her throat. Confusion swam around in her brain. Mary Margaret smiled gently, "It's okay," she mouthed. Emma could only stare, wide-eyed.

Discreetly, she chanced a look at Belle to gauge her reaction. The girl didn’t look angry, Emma decided. But then again, she thought grimly, she could still be processing it. Belle opened her mouth and Emma cringed.

"I'm happy for you."

Emma (and Regina) gawked at her. "What?""What!" Emma shot Regina a look before turning back to Belle. "I thought you'd be angry or upset…" she hedged, still unsure if the reaction was just delayed.

But Belle shook her head, smiling sweetly at the confused savior, "No, of course not. I want Rumplestiltskin to be happy. And it just wasn't with me," the smile took a slight bitter turn at that, but it perked up soon after. "Besides, I've found a new happiness with someone else. And Rumple and I haven't been together for a while, so…it doesn't bother me."

Emma was shocked. "Wh--? I didn’t know that…" Her head was spinning with all this new information, so she just sat there for a moment.

She could hear Ruby ask Belle who the mystery man was. The book lover flushed and stuttered, "Ah, he's um…" she trailed off.

"Tell us," Aurora encouraged sweetly.

 "Well, his name is Jefferson."

Emma's head shot up.

"Jefferson?" Mary Margaret voiced. Belle nodded, smiling happily. "He was the one who had rescued me from the hospital ward. I had never gotten the chance to say thank you at the time, because I was already with Rumplestiltskin by the time I got my memories back." A far off look entered her eyes, a smile rested on her mouth, "But he came by the library a few months ago, him and his daughter. I thanked him and then we got to talking. He's a really lovely man, and a wonderful father." She let out a delicate sigh, "And he loves books."

Regina rolled her eyes in the corner, but even she had a quirk at the corner of her mouth. Belle finally looked peaceful, something that had been missing when she was with Rumplestiltskin. It was nice to see the girl finally having some real happiness.

"Come!" Mary Margaret suddenly announced, standing from her seat and clapping her hands together. Emma startled backwards at the movement. Her mother strode over to the kitchen before anyone got up and came back with glasses and a bottle of champagne.

After filling them and handing them out, she raised hers, "A toast, to True Love and Happy Endings!"

Aurora let out a delighted laugh and they all raised theirs (three of them a little hesitantly, but up nonetheless), clinking them against one another in a jovial noise.

Sipping her drink, Emma could still feel her head reeling…and her cheeks burning.


	14. Teamwork

14\. Teamwork

 

"You need to focus!"

"I _am_ focusing! Stop bothering me!"

"I'm only trying to help!"

" _No!_ You are bothering me!"

"That's because you're doing it wrong!"

Emma flung her arms down and turned on him, "I am not!" she snarled, getting in his face, "You are just getting on my nerves and I'm losing concentration. If you give me a moment, I could do it _right_!"

"It's not my fault that you aren't concentrating _correctly_ , especially since that is not the way you should _do it_!" he sneered, his accent so thick he was almost difficult to understand. Gold had lost his patience. His nostrils flared and his eyes were narrowed and shining brightly as he leaned closer to her, not willing to surrender. Emma was about to retort when Mary Margaret finally decided enough was enough.

"Stop it! Both of you!" she chided them, pushing them away from each other. "This is no time to be arguing! You need to get it together."

"But he-!""Yes, but she-!"

"No! This is pointless, why can't you two get along?"

"Because he's a pain in the ass," Emma snarked. Gold gave her a withering look, "And it doesn't help that she's got those Charming genes. Everything goes in one ear and then out the other."

Emma cocked a hip, "I'm sorry- what did you say?" she raised a brow, fuming.

"See? My point." He tapped his cane on the ground, grinning. She rushed at him, ready to give him a piece of her mind, but Mary Margaret only held her back.

"You two need to get over your differences! We need you to work together so we can defeat Cora and maybe get things back to being peaceful…-er," she added when everyone gave her a funny look.

Emma scowled. She didn't want to get close to him. She was fine not dealing with him whatsoever.

He shot her a look, as though reading her mind. Smirking, he raised an eyebrow, waiting.

She huffed. 'Loathsome, manipulative imp,' she grumbled. She walked over to his side, wary of his movements.

Exhaling, "What do I do?"

Smirk, "Follow my instructions."

Scowl, "I have been."

"Then why haven't you been doing it _right_?"

Glare, "I have been." But she closed her eyes anyway, concentrating. She focused her thoughts on her magic, her strength, trying to draw it out and together. It kept slipping through her grasp, and she felt herself getting frustrated.

Gold huffed in front of her, seeming to already be impatient. Before she could open her eyes to gauge his reaction, she was shocked into silence when he gripped her hand.

"Concentrate," he muttered softly, soothingly. She felt her body relax, letting him take both her hands into his. She could feel power thrumming through her veins, the once transparent sensation now a physical one, one that she held onto with all her might.

"That's my lass," he whispered. She cracked an eye open to be sure, and was greeted with the sight of him smiling proudly.

Closing hers, she couldn't help but feel triumph as well. She had accomplished much today. _They_ had accomplished much today. Maybe magic lessons wouldn't be as horrible as she thought.

"There! That's exactly what I was talking about! Was that so hard?" Mary Margaret exclaimed, exasperated.

She hid her smile.


	15. Kiss

15\. Kiss

"You have _got_ to be joking. This is why you called me over to your shop?"

Gold smirked, shaking his head, "I'm sorry, Miss Swan, I wish I was. I hate seeing you in pain like this," he added dryly, studying her pinched expression. She quickly wiped it clean, "Exactly _why_ do we have to do this?" She rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on.

"Because, Miss Swan, you are the product of True Love. You have the power to unlock the magic within. Remember when you were trying to destroy the Wraith and the hat would not work for Regina?" she hesitantly nodded. "And when you touched her shoulder the portal suddenly opened?" Again she nodded. "That is because with your touch you were able to jumpstart her magic. _That_ is your gift." He paused, "Well, one of them at least."

She lifted an eyebrow, "Why do you need more magic? I thought _you_ were the one to bring it here?"

He shook his head. "I have some of my magic. But here it is tricky. I believe there is a way to bring it out easier, but that is where you come in," he pointed a long finger at her. She rolled her eyes, "So this isn't some sort of trick?"

He mock gasped, "Miss Swan!" he held a hand to his chest, "I'm offended. Do you really think that lowly of me?"

Her expression gave him his answer. He let out a sigh, "That wounds me, Miss Swan."

She scoffed, "Oh please. I know you better than that." She chewed on her lip, " _Alright_ , let's get this over with." She gave in, throwing her arms up. Moving over to where he stood, she couldn’t stop the fluttering in her stomach. She was nervous. 'Who wouldn’t be?' she mused. 'If they had to kiss Rumplestiltskin to help him get his magic back?'

She paused, "Does this count as the favor?" she asked teasingly. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to mess with him a bit. Help diffuse the tension and all that.

He gave her a look, "No, Emma, think of this as a _gift_." His smirk was sinful, but it didn’t stop the shivers from going down her spine. The way he said her name, just…

She walked closer, feeling heat begin to course through her veins. She swallowed, willing the nerves to _go away_ , but they persisted. She was right in front of him now, so close that she could feel the warmth radiate from his body.

She glanced up into his eyes, and he looked back, seemingly patient. Her eyes flickered down to his lips, licking her own.

' _Just do it. Get it over with._ '

Taking a deep breath, she began to lean in- her target clear.

However it seemed that she was too slow for his liking. He let out a groan and, dropping his cane to the floor, he grabbed her, pulling her in to his embrace.

And for a moment, she felt a peace that was completely foreign to her. And then a fire lit into her veins and she reacted, her body moving on its own accord. Her arms wrapped around him, forcing him closer. Fingers delved into hair, traced curves and hard lines, and left trails wherever they went.

Emma felt her back bump into the counter, and Gold took advantage, dipping her back, pressing her flush against it. Her hair sprawled over the surface and toppled over the edge, and her hands curled around his collar.

'Something is in the air,' she thought. 'There's something here, I can feel it, I--'

And suddenly she was all alone against the counter. He had wrenched away from her, stumbling over to the other side. She didn’t move for a moment, panting as she tried to gather her wits. She could only stare up at the ceiling.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she shakily moved to stand back upright. It took her a little longer, but she also managed to look him in the eye.

And what she saw shocked her.

He was staring at her with something new. As though he couldn’t believe what he had found and was completely and utterly surprised by it. But there was also something else…something…

"Was that what you wanted?" she asked gruffly. Her voice sounded different, even to her. Very hoarse, very…affected. She tried clearing her throat.  

His mouth twitched, "That’s one way to put it, I suppose." His voice was husky and rough and another shiver shot down her spine. She tried to ignore it.

He gazed into her eyes and she nervously looked away. She honestly didn’t know what to do now. This was _way_ out of her comfort zone. She glanced up again-

And was shocked at how much closer he was than before.

"For a guy with a limp, you sure can walk quietly," she cracked. He offered a smile and held out his hand. She regarded it, confused. Was she supposed to take it?

Her thoughts were answered when his hand began to glow, and then suddenly a hydrangea was being held out to her. Hesitantly she accepted it, still unsure of his actions.

"Think of it as a thanks…Emma, for helping me."

She twirled the flower between her fingers, studying him. He had nothing to hide, his face an open book.

Shakily, she nodded, "Your welcome…I suppose." She lifted a shoulder and joked: "It was my pleasure."

He returned her grin. "Now…I might need more…help in the future. Would you be willing to be of assistance? Just in case it didn’t work?"

She didn’t need a superpower to know what he really meant. She lifted the flower to her face, "We'll see," she replied coyly. "The future looks promising."


	16. Book

16\. Book

After her and Mary Margaret had gotten back and everything had settled down, she set out on a mission. She needed to get her hands on it, there was no question about it.

The book.

She ran her hands across the surface. The grooves and textures of the craft was detailed and a complete work of art. The cover hinted at all the treasure that could be found within its pages and Emma set to reading them right away.

She had flipped through the book before the curse broke, but she didn’t study it like now. She went through each story, spending a great amount of time on each. She studied the pictures, trying to match the character in the drawing to a town citizen. It was surprising at how many she could recognize, but there were also many others that puzzled her.

She recognized his story right away.

It was a tragic tale, one that gave her immense background on him and why he acted the way he did and his motives.  He was also pretty much involved in every other story as well. He was even the 'Beast' in that world.

Emma frowned as she looked down upon a picture depicting Belle giving the Beast 'True Love's Kiss'. Was that the girl she had seen before? She did look familiar…

She felt the corners of her mouth drop even farther. This story wasn't anything like the Beauty and the Beast tale she was used to. Why would anyone listen to what Regina said and believe it to be truth?  _That’s_  the thing that boggled her the most.

She quirked her brow as she went farther in. He had his hands in everything, didn’t he? He was very determined to get his son back, and he went to desperate lengths to do it. Reading all the stories with the knowledge that she had now, she could even see his steps to creating the curse and bringing his plan all together.

He really was a cunning individual, wasn't he?

And then finally she came to the end, where the ripped pages reminded her that it wasn't over. That this was where she came in. The Savior.

Henry had ripped out the pages to keep her identity safe, and to go along with his 'theory' she threw the pages in a fire to get rid of them. She regretted it now because she definitely wanted to get a look at them.

'Who even wrote the book, anyway?' she wondered.

A knocking startled her out of her thoughts and she carefully set the book down and got up. 'Who could that be?'

"Hello, Miss Swan. How does this fine evening find you?"

She smiled, albeit forcefully, "Good. And how are you, Mr. Gold?"

"I am doing well, thank you."

She nodded. Things weren't as strained between them since their last talk, but she still didn’t feel altogether comfortable in his presence. Trust was still an issue for them.

"Can I help you with anything, Mr. Gold?"

His face lit up as if he remembered something, "Ah, yes!" he reached into an inside pocket in his jacket, "I have something for you that I think you might like."

She was curious now. Resting on the doorjamb she tried to look nonchalant, but leaned in eagerly to see what he had brought.

He pulled out carefully folded pieces of paper and handed them to her.

"I was visiting the wooden boy and he had these laying around. He didn’t need them anymore and let me have them," he smiled nicely, but Emma could see the wicked gleam in her eye. She knew that most of it was a lie about how he acquired them from August but kept her mouth shut.

She opened the pages, that were somehow magically not creased, and felt her eyebrows shoot up on her forehead.

The last few pages!

Her head jerked up in shock. How did he know? She  _just_ thought about it a few seconds ago!

"How did you--?" but he raised a hand, cutting her off.

" _That_  is my secret, Emma. Just enjoy it. I'm sure Henry will be happy about putting the book back together as well," this time his smile was genuine and she couldn’t help but grin at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Gold. I…this is really amazing of you."

He waved his hand, "Think nothing of it. You don’t even have to owe me a favor this time." Now his smirk had a wicked taint to it, but she couldn’t find it in her to get upset. She only laughed.

"How kind of you," she said sarcastically.

The book was almost complete. All that was left was the conclusion to this tale. She wondered how it would end.


	17. Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably my favorite so far tbh :)

17\. Magic

When she was a little girl, she had always been fascinated with fairytales. Disney movies were watched religiously in the foster homes that she frequented. The idea of a happy ending was something she clung to with both hands in a life that seemed so wretched. She needed that hope to keep going, that hope that one day she'd finally belong somewhere and be loved.

One aspect that she particularly loved, though, was the magic. It seemed like magic was the special ingredient to a happy ending. And she desperately wanted that.

So she kept dreaming and she kept the hope that one day things would finally go right.

Until Neal completely broke her.

Standing there, having the cuffs strapped on, she could feel every bit of hope drain out of her. That magic that she had believed in didn’t happen. He had lied and he had made a fool of her. And as she sat in her cell, staring at the positive test, she felt her heart harden. She wouldn’t ever allow that again. She wouldn't allow herself to believe in such nonsense, it only lead to heartbreak.

So that was why she was so shocked that day she and Mary Margaret returned. She believed him to be just like Neal, just like Hook, just like Jefferson, and just like August: using her for his own purposes. And when he told her that it was all her, she felt something.

It was eerily similar to that emotion she felt all those years ago as a child.

_Hope._

He said it was the magic within her. That it was all her own doing. She wouldn’t tell it to his face, but she would forever be grateful to him for what he did. He helped her get her strength back; he helped her get her faith back. In a time where she thought she really was worthless, he brought her back up. He made her feel invincible.

So now, when she's learning how to control her abilities, it was only right that she go to him. And when he shows off for her with his magic she remembers that feeling from her childhood. She remembers her love and her hope. And she smiles at him, because he gave it back to her.

A happy ending seemed possible now. And she had him to thank for that.


	18. Work

18\. Work

They had been together for a few weeks now, trying out this new relationship of theirs. It wasn't easy at all, as to be expected. They still fought and they still had trust issues. But they were trying and that was what mattered.

He still wondered why she was here. He couldn’t believe that she still put up with him after all this time. He still used magic and he still made deals and he still found loopholes and he still teased her dad mercilessly. He decided to ask her one day after making up from a little spat.

"Because, no one said it would be easy." He gave her a blank look and she rolled her eyes. "I know who you are. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you otherwise. I would've dropped you and never thought about you again. Especially after the Ashley incident," she raised her eyebrow expectantly and he nodded, still a bit dazed.

"So…you don’t want to…to change me? Or break my curse?" he thought back to Belle and how that all went down (not well) and he didn’t want a repeat. That was the last thing he wanted to happen, especially with Emma.

But she shook her head, "I'm not gonna make you change if you don't want to. It doesn’t work like that. If you change, I'd rather it be because you choose to. But either way I'll still be here, because buddy you're stuck with me now," she smirked. But despite her candor, her hand reached out and grasped his, engulfing him in her warmth.

She smiled, "I knew it was going to be work, being with you. But I think…in the end…," she glanced up at him, a bit nervous with this emotional stuff, "I think it'll be worth it…" she bit her lip, "Don’t you?"

He studied her with wide eyes, still not believing that this woman really chose to be with him, _all_ of him, despite how _broken_ he was.

"Yes. I believe it will be."

Her smile at his response dazzled him and affirmed his statement and he could do nothing but squeeze her hand back.


	19. Fly

19\. Fly

"What…is _that_?" He stared in horror at what lay before them. A trickle of sweat ran down his face. Never in all his years had he seen something like this. It frightened him, and that in itself was an amazing feat to do.

Emma, however, seemed perfectly at ease. She rolled his eyes at his antics.

" _That_ , Gold is a metal detector. You have to go through it so they can make sure you're not carrying anything dangerous." She mumbled something under her breath about how that’s not something they should worry about, considering he was an magic-wielding imp wizard from another world.

But he did not gain any relief from that as the device loomed closer. Security guards stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to go through, but his feet were stuck. There was nothing from the Enchanted forest or anywhere else he visited that could prepare him for this. He could feel his breathing grow rapid and his head start to go lightheaded.

Emma was getting impatient with his hesitancy, but when he stumbled back into her she realized something was wrong.

"Gold? You okay?"

"E-Emma, I can't…"

She gripped his arms and held him up so she wouldn’t fall over from his weight. He was leaning on her pretty heavily. "What are you talking about? It's just a metal detector."

"That…that _thing_ is not _just_ a metal detector, Miss Swan," his voice was intense and trembling at the same time. Emma was surprised at how much he seemed to be affected by this. "That _thing_ is _evil_."

She let out an exasperated groan, "Oh for Pete's sake, Gold! Just walk through it!"

"No!" And like a child he crossed his arms and planted his feet. She was dumbstruck for a moment. Shaking her head she started to push him.

"Go through it, Gold!" He wouldn’t budge at all. For a guy with a limp he sure was strong. It was like pushing a wall. He leaned back into her, digging his heels into the ground. He shook his head frantically, 'No I will not! Miss Swan you can _forget it_!"

She stopped pushing, seemingly giving up. "So the Dark One has finally been bested by a freaking metal detecting device? Seriously? This is the great and powerful Rumplestiltskin?" she whispered angrily behind her teeth. He only turned his nose up at her, ignoring her jabs.

"This is unlike anything I have ever seen, I don’t like it!"

"Oh stop acting like a child! You're being stupid!"

"Um, sir. You're holding up the line-" a woman came up, wearing a pinched expression. Gold ignored her and instead turned and glared at Emma, "Don’t insult me, Miss Swan, I have my reasons." The woman looked like she was getting angry and about to call backup on them. Emma thought quickly.

Raising a brow she engaged him, "Oh really?"

He nodded, "Yes I do, and-"

While his guard was down, Emma took the chance to push him through. The detector didn’t go off because they had already put their metal belongings up. The employee exhaled, and Emma let out a sigh of relief.

Gold, now on the other side turned and glared at her, looking for all the world as though she had violated him. "Miss Swan!"

She only shrugged, "It didn’t hurt you or anything did it?" He sputtered. "Did anything evil happen?" He stared wide-eyed at her, unable to respond. "I thought not," she smirked as she walked through and grabbed her belongings.

She was greeted with his glare as she stood back up straight. He didn’t say anything, but picked up his cane petulantly.

'I wonder if I should tell him that there's another when we land?'

She watched him limp away.

' _Nah._ '


	20. Snow

20\. Snow

A sigh escaped, blurring the glass in front of her. It was her first winter in Fairytaleland and she had to spend it indoors. It seemed that over in this land this time of year was even more gorgeous than in hers. She longed to go out and enjoy it, but her duty as a princess forced her to stay inside.

'This blows' she thought rudely. Resting her head on her hand she felt her eyes glaze over. She was supposed to be listening to one of the court advisers who were trying to teach her the ways of, well, the court. However she couldn’t find any interest in it.

'Seriously, has this guy even taken a breath? He just drones on and on and on and on…' she slumped over.

Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she lifted her head. Something was materializing behind the man. And it was…taking the shape of another man. No…not a man…

Rumplestiltskin!

She tried not to react physically, so as to not alert the adviser, but the shock reverberated in her body.

What was he doing here?

He was fully visible now, but the adviser was none the wiser. He kept talking and talking about etiquette or something. Emma's jaw dropped as Rumplestiltskin giggled and made faces behind him.

She tried to subtly motion him to _get out of here_ but he flat out ignored it, continuing with his little game. Suddenly he held up a finger, as though silencing _her_. She watched with bated breath for his next move. His uplifted finger abruptly caught fire, and she jerked in surprise. Her eyes moved swiftly between him and the adviser. _What_ was he up to?

He ducked out of view. She resisted the urge to get up and peer over to find him.

The court adviser cut himself off and stood there staring off into space. She held her breath.

"Is something…burning?" He sniffed the air. Emma felt her eyes bulge. He didn’t--!

He did.

The adviser's face went slack with the realization, and the burst into life as he grabbed his burning arse. Screaming, he ran around the room and then finally out the door. Emma could still hear his cries from where she stood motionless.

Rumplestiltskin, though, was having a ball. He was laughing madly and clutching his stomach.

"Are you insane?!" She hissed as she surged at him.

He let up on his mirth and turned to her. "The jury's still out on that, princess." He swaggered over to her, "Besides, what's the problem? You looked like you needed a break. And he looked like he needed to lighten up," he snickered. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Truthfully, she herself was holding back giggles. His appearance _was_ a welcome relief.

He grabbed her arm, startling her.

"Come on, Emma. Let me show you something better than any _adviser_ can teach you." And he began pulling her along out the door. Emma ignored how his hand moved down until their fingers interlaced and how her cheeks burned in reaction. She kept walking.

He brought her outside. By then it was snowing again and little flakes fell into her hair. It looked even more beautiful up close than behind windows. She looked up and smiled.

The castle was covered in white and while it was cold, there was a peaceful atmosphere that came with it. She trotted out farther, taking it in.

"Wow," she breathed out, a puff of air visible in front of her mouth. She slowly spun in a circle. She stopped when she faced him. He was watching her with a light in his eyes and a tilt to his lip. She hoped he'd mistake the red on her cheeks as a response to the cold weather.

"What? Is there something on my face?" she teased.

"Actually," he said as he started to circle around her, "There is."

Her eyebrows rose, "What? Where?" she lifted her hands to brush it off.

" _Right_ …" she glanced up only to get a mouthful of snow, "There!" His laughter was loud as she wiped it off. He was clutching his stomach and doubling over. He wasn't paying attention. She quickly bent down and gathered some snow.

"Oh yea? You know what this means, right Rumplestiltskin?"

He froze and before he could look up in horror she had already brought her arm back, "War!"

It hit him smack-dab in his face and he sputtered as it went down his shirt. She quickly ran for cover, knowing that he wasn't going down without a fight.

She couldn’t hold in her laughter for the life of her though. She was _very_ happy that he interrupted her lesson.


	21. Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short one. Quick reminder: These are drabbles that are unrelated to another unless otherwise stated. Whatever universe/storyline that pops into my head

21\. Ride

He was already waiting for her before she even stepped out onto the pavement.

'Wow, he really wants to leave quickly, doesn’t he?' she mused. She walked over to the Bug and opened the trunk, lugging her stuff into it. She turned and held her hand out for his luggage and he handed it over without comment. She shut it and walked to the driver's side and he did the same on the opposite side. They shared an intense look of unspoken promises before they both ducked into the car.

It was going to be a long trip. And she was going to get some answers.


	22. Castle

22\. Castle

' _Wow, he really does have a large estate._ '

 _This_ was Emma's thought process as she walked through the double doors. For a 28 (and then some) year curse, this place was _really_ dust-free. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered that he was probably showing off for her and had cleaned up ahead of time.

And he really did pull out all the stops. She could see a plethora of magical items lining the walls and books lining the shelves, something that he knew would impress her.

And she'll admit- it did.

" _Sooooo_ what do you think of my _humble_ abode?" he slinked up next to her, his breath caressing her cheek. She jumped at the sudden appearance, but smirked up at him nonetheless.

"It's very humble indeed," she teased. He returned her grin and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her farther into his home. "Allow me to show you around, Princess. I'll give you the _special_ tour," he sent her a wink and wiggled his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes, a blush belying her indifference.

"How kind of you," she replied dryly.

"I like to think so," he quipped. And then he proceeded to lead her along. She was only too happy to let him.


	23. Empty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions Rumbelle and spoilers from last episode. Got a little angsty with this one xD

23\. Empty

Emma had never considered herself a jealous woman. Especially over a man who she didn’t even _love_ , let alone _like_. She'd never had a reason to be.

And yet here she was, feeling her heart sink to the bottom of a pit and all because of this lowly pirate's comments.

" _Did you see his face? His one True Love gone in an instant?_ "

" _Plus I did some quality damage to my foe._ "

" _You hurt Belle--?_ "

" _I hurt his heart. Belle's just where he keeps it._ "

She didn’t know why she felt this way. She certainly didn’t _care_ for Gold like that. If anything she didn’t trust him, maybe she even _hated_ him.

 _And yet_ …whenever Belle is mentioned…a hole seems to open up underneath her ribcage and she just feels…

Empty.

It seems that lately she just keeps feeling like she's worthless. That he has no need over her as a person, only for what she can accomplish for him. And that _damned_ favor! It's all she's good for apparently. Being the Savior and breaking the curse, and helping him make ends meet. He likes to bring it up at the worst of times! Like when she needed answers from him after he _betrayed her trust_ so unforgivably and she just…

She _didn’t_ care. She _really_ didn’t. It _didn’t_ matter to her…

_So why does it hurt so much?_


	24. Longing

24\. Longing

It's been so long since he's felt anything like this. He remembers back then with Milah and when Belle started to work for him and…

It wasn't anything like this. Back then it was just the novelty of a female actually choosing to be in his presence. He was such a monster (he still is) and a coward (definitely) that it was a wonder anyone would claim to love him, let alone be near him.

That’s why he's been alone all this time.

He thought it had been love, what he had with the two previous women in his life, but now he's starting to reconsider. Neither had truly known him and even if they had, would they have accepted him? He didn’t think so, not with Milah's intense hatred of him and his uselessness and with Belle's morals and expectations of him.

But Emma…Emma had no expectations of him. She had no preconceived notion of who he was, she just took him as he was. She didn’t romanticize him, she knew what he was and she still treated him like an equal. And he did the same for her.

When he looked at her now, he didn’t see the Savior. He didn’t see his ticket to finding Bae. Not anymore. When he saw her, he saw the Light, he saw his salvation. He saw his second chance.

He saw a woman who didn’t take his bullshit, and who gave it as good as she was given it. He saw woman who was as broken as he was, and he wanted to be that person she opened up to and trusted. He longed to be that for her, and he longed for her to be the woman that would be by his side through the rest of his life.

He yearned for this salvation, and he didn’t want anyone else.


	25. Waiting

25\. Waiting

He didn’t know what to do.

For the first time in his life he had no plan. He had nothing to fall back on. He never saw past this point, he had only known that the curse would break. And he had believed that he'd be able to leave and find his son afterwards.

But according to Charming no one could cross the border without losing themselves.

So now he had nothing once again. He was back to square one.

And on top of all that, Emma had been transported back to the Enchanted Forest. He needed her help; there was no one else for this journey. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to get her back.

For the first time in his life he was reduced to just waiting. Without any goal in mind or a clear ending at the conclusion of it all. He just had to be patient and hope Emma would make it.

He had faith in her. If anyone could get through this, it would be her.


	26. Sing

26\. Sing

"You know…being a princess and all, it's almost a requirement that you sing at least once about your feelings."

She stiffened and her mouth turned down. She turned the full weight of her glare on him.

"No."

He smirked.

"It was just a thought, dearie. Lighten up." His eyes twinkled.

She shook her head in exasperation.


	27. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A sad one, I'm afraid :/ And definitely AU)

27\. Silence

It was a standoff. Cora on one end of the street, Emma on the other.

"You foolish girl," Cora mocked in a soft voice. "Did you honestly think that you could beat me?"

Emma frowned, "I don’t think, I _know_."

Cora's sympathetic expression transformed into a malicious smirk. "We shall see, _Savior_." She hissed the word between her teeth. She reached into the folds of her dress and Emma tensed, pulling out her sword in a quick movement. Cora only laughed at the display of 'bravery'.

"You actually believe that _I_ would stoop so low as to join in hand-to-hand combat with you? _No_ , I have a better idea," her eyes sparkled with a wicked gleam. Emma was prepared for anything.

"Oh yea? And what's that?" Emma taunted. But Cora did not respond verbally. She squeezed whatever it was that's in her hand. A shiver seemed to go through the air. Her evil grin sent a chill down Emma's spine.

She was ready for anything.

Cora's eyes went to something behind Emma. Confusion and curiosity made her turn.

_She was ready for anything._

Her eyes widened.

_She was ready for anything…but that._

"…Gold?"

There he stood, his head drooping and his face slack. His eyes were glazed over with a darkness that she couldn’t fathom. He didn’t seem to recognize her when they fell upon her

"Gold? What are you…?" she trailed off as his hand began to glow. He brought it swiftly up and she instinctively blocked it. A clang resounded as their swords scraped against each other.

"Gold?!"

"Oh, my dear. He can't hear you. " Emma chanced a look back at Cora, even as Gold bore down against her. In the older witch's hand was a dagger.

Emma's blood froze in her veins.

She recalled the conversation that she and Gold had when they were still in New York.

_"There is an object, Miss Swan, that…is very precious to me."  Emma cocked an eyebrow. "You mean that cup from the book?" her voice was dry and sarcastic and she smirked at him in jest._

_He gave her an unimpressed look, "No. This one is very important…and_ very _serious."_

 _His expression made her sober up. She could tell that it_ was _of grave importance. She glanced over at Henry to make sure he was still sleeping._ Just in case _. She turned back to Gold and leaned over the small hotel table._

_He mimicked her movements, resting his elbows close to hers. "It is a dagger with my name on it. It is the object that controls the Dark One and his fate. If it were to fall into the wrong hands…" he trailed off and Emma stared incredulously at him._

_"What…?"_

_"If someone had that dagger in their possession, they could make the Dark One do whatever he or she asked. Even if it was against the Dark One's will."_

_"…Where is it? Is it hidden?"_

_He nodded, "I hid it the moment I got my memory back and it should be safe." He paused, as though mulling something over. She waited patiently._

_"When we get back…Emma…I want you to have it." His eyes bore into hers and she was frozen. "Me? Why me?" her voice was hoarse but she couldn’t summon the strength to clear it._

_His expression softened from the hard edges that accompanied his earlier words, "Because I trust you. Although I'm sure that sentiment isn't reciprocated. But I trust you and no one else to hold onto it and keep it safe."_

_She studied him, "Are you sure it's that big of a threat? Do you actually believe someone will be going after it?" She wasn't questioning_ him _, it was just…she had to make sure._

_Something in his eyes sparked, "Yes. It is."_

And he was right. And now Cora had it.

Her head whipped back to look at Gold just as he withdrew from their draw and swiped at her. She knocked it away and began to move.

He was swift in his movements, a lot quicker and better than Hook was the last time they fought. She was fighting as best she could, but still holding back. She didn’t _want_ to hurt him and she certainly didn’t want to battle him.

She dodged another shot at her head. She had to think of _something_ though. A close call almost cut through her neck and she darted away as quickly as she could. This fight couldn’t go on that long or she wouldn’t be able last. She couldn’t keep this up. She glanced away for a second when something caught her eye.

There, near where Cora was standing, behind a car, hid Henry. Her eyes widened as a plan unraveled in her mind. It would be stupid, and risky to boot, but…

She looked at Gold who was now standing between her and Cora. His face held no trace of recognition nor emotion. He was just a puppet bending to Cora's strings. It made Emma's blood boil and her resolve strengthen. It didn’t matter the consequences, she had to do this for him.

She turned back to Henry and caught his eye. At her nod, understanding flooded his young face. He knew what was being asked of him.

She made sure her footing was balanced and took a deep breath. She was ready.

Without taking her eyes off of Gold she let out a scream: " _Now!_ " And all at once everything began to move.

Gold came rushing at her, his sword drawn and prepared. She lifted her own and flung it with sure aim.

But not at Gold.

At Cora.

The dagger to clattered to the ground, Emma's sword hitting its mark. Cora let out a cry of outrage and went to go get it, but Henry had grabbed it up and was already running away.

Emma stopped paying attention after she threw her weapon. Her eyes stayed on his as he came nearer, his movements fast. She didn’t move out of the way, although she could've easily done so.

She only smiled as her arms wrapped themselves around him.

And even as his sword embedded itself into her stomach, she could only hug him closer. Both of their bodies sprawled backwards onto the ground from the impact. She felt him tense and then take a deep shuddering breath, as if coming back to himself. She felt a tear slip down her face and knew it had been worth it, this sacrifice. She kept smiling even as the darkness clouded her vision…

Gold felt as though he had just woken up from a nightmare. His body was trembling, but it felt like he was being held in a warm embrace.  

And he suddenly remembered everything.

His hand clenched unconsciously on the hilt of the sword. His head lifted and a gold color filled his vision. Hair. But something was tainting it at a rapid pace.

The color red.

Blood.

And he knew.

Emma.

Something caught in the back of his throat. _No_. It couldn’t be.

He couldn’t look. Not yet.

"Emma?," he choked out. "Emma…!" Her arms were around him, but they weren't moving. A weight crushed down upon him. His world stopped spinning.

 _No._ It couldn’t be…

"Emma!" he cried. _Answer, please answer!_

But all that echoed around him was silence. And as he rested his head back into the crook of her neck, he began to weep.

_No. It couldn’t be._


	28. Embrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Another AU :/ But with a happier ending)

28\. Embrace

**_  
_ **

" _HENRY!_ " she screeched as she flung her body as a last effort. But it was all for naught, when Cora's magic pushed his small body off the dock into the dark whirlpool below. She immediately set to get her jacket off but hands grabbed her, stopping her movements.

"Emma! Stop! It's no use now, you'd only kill yourself!" Mary Margaret sobbed. Emma tried shaking her off. "NO! I can save him! I can get to him! He's not lost yet!!" She dove again, but Charming and her mother held her back. She screamed and cursed and wailed, but to no avail. The worst part was that Cora and Regina and Hook stood but a few feet away, watching the whole thing. Regina looked stricken, the pirate looked indecisive, and Cora looked smug.

Emma dropped t her knees, feeling broken and hollow and just _empty_.

"I'm so sorry, Emma, I'm so sorry," Mary Margaret kept whispering. Tears stained Emma's clothes, but this didn’t even register in her mind. She stared at the now calm waters where her son was taken.

He was gone.

A noise echoed in the back of her brain. The fall of a footstep followed by the thump of a cane.

Rumplestiltskin.

"Gold…," she muttered, not even bothering to turn and look at him. She could feel his eyes dart to her, before focusing on the waters.

"Emma," he replied. She jolted when he handed her his cane, but was unable to voice her confusion. He stepped up to the edge of the dock.

Cora tried to go at him, but Regina managed to gather her wits and bind her where she was.

Gold held his hands out, concentrating hard on the task at hand. Emma watched him, still in shock over everything. A sound diverted her attention however.

Bubbling.  Something was moving underneath the water and it was moving upward. She stared with wide eyes as the water parted and suddenly her son was being presented like an offering. He seemed to be floating in midair and Emma resisted the urge to rub her eyes to make sure it was real.

He was real. He was back. He was--

"Henry!" She stumbled back onto her feet, ready to dive for him again, but he was already coming towards her. As soon as he was in reach she grabbed his body and clutched him to her, not letting him go anytime soon.

"You're alive. You're back. Henry…"

She buried her face in his hair. "Mom…can't…breathe…" She quickly let up a bit, giving him some room, but refused to let go altogether.

"Are you okay? Are you alright?"

He nodded, "I'm fine, I'm…okay," he smiled up at her. She wanted to cry at the immense relief she felt. She hugged him again. She felt Mary Margaret and David come up and join in. Reluctantly, she allowed his grandparents to have their turn by themselves, standing up and stepping away. The sight was one she had never been privy to before and she relished the sight of her family, together and alive.

Gold standing up caught her attention, and she turned to him. He had fallen after completing his amazing feat, and she had completely forgotten. A rush of gratitude and shame washed over her. She glanced down at the cane that was still gripped in her hand. Walking over, she gently handed it over.

He had the softest look on his face as he accepted it and Emma felt another urge tug at her. And this time she didn’t resist it. She flung her arms around him, startling the guy enough to drop his cane with a clatter.

"Thank you. Thank you _so_ much," she murmured into his coat. He hesitantly placed a hand on her back, but she didn’t mind. She embraced him tighter, for once _immensely_ grateful to have this man in her life.

" _Thank you_."

"You're welcome, love." His arm wrapped tighter around her waist.

All was good in this moment and she reveled in it.


	29. Drink

29\. Drink

It was over. It was all over. That is, the threat with Cora, at least, was over.

Emma stood there motionless as she tried to catch her breath. The air around the town was slowly clearing out from the darkness it had been, and the sky was turning back to the bright blue it had always been. Everyone cautiously crept out of their hiding places, still unsure if the danger was really gone. When they saw that, yes, it really was over, they all began to celebrate and embrace those near them.

Emma did not join them. She could only continue to stare at the spot where Cora had disintegrated.

Her mother and father were hugging Henry and surrounded by the usual group of friends. But they were also trying to calm down the people into at least a model of decorum. But everyone was happy and they wanted to show it.

And Emma was happy too. The most immediate danger of the moment was gone. She didn’t have to worry about it anymore, and she was thankful for that.

But she just didn’t have the energy to join in the celebration.

Footsteps and a repeated _thunk_ alerted her to a presence behind her.

"You did it, dearie. Congratulations." She could _hear_ the smirk and the sparkle in his eye. As she turned around, she didn’t lift her arms, so the sword dragged along the ground. She gave him an unimpressed look.

"Thanks," she muttered dryly.

His teasing smirk turned into something a little more softer.

"Want to go get a drink, love?"

Her answer to that was laughably simple.

"Hell yes."


	30. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scenes in the last episode were awesome between these two, but I was kinda hoping she'd do this. Regardless, I still liked what happened :)

30\. Warmth

Gold gripped the arm rest, feeling the skin of his knuckles stretch painfully underneath the paper towel. He could feel the plane rumbling around him, and it set his nerves off even more than they already were. His mind was racing and going off in so many different directions that he didn’t know which thought to follow first.

He wanted to scream. He wanted his magic.

A warm hand encompassed his own, slowing his frantic thoughts and diverting his attention. It shocked him into looking over and into her eyes, something he had avoided for some time now.

He's been so surprised at how…nice she's been acting towards him. Even after he threatened her family and everything else he's done against her…she's still helping him.

She searched his eyes, looking for something he didn’t know if he could provide. He wondered what she really saw. Her expression was as soft as her hand on his. He could feel the warm pads of her fingers ghosting over his, sending shivers up his arm. He took a deep breath.

"It'll be okay," she repeated. She had been telling him this ever since they left on their little journey. He still didn’t know if he believed her, but the sentiment was appreciated. She was called The Hope for a reason, he supposed. She gently squeezed her hand around his, curling her palm onto his. His fingers moved of their own accord, matching her movements. He let out a sigh, feeling as though the air around him had finally started to circulate again. His shoulders slumped and rested against hers on the seat.

He didn’t say anything, but something in his gaze must have let her know his gratitude, for she sent him a soft smile. Her fingers moved around his a bit firmer, but still careful to not put too much pressure on his injury.

She turned back around, but kept his hand clasped in hers. He didn’t try to move it away, but stared at her a few seconds longer before looking forward as well.

Henry kept munching on his treats, oblivious to the interaction that had occurred. Their hands didn’t separate till the plane landed.


	31. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off the 2x14 promo. God help me if Neal is actually Bae. I'd contemplate quitting the show if it turns out to be true :/

31\. Cold

Emma shoved her hands in her pockets, trying vainly to get them to a decent temperature. New York sure was cold this time of year. The trio were walking down the street at this moment, heading to the address that she had procured from her research.

They were going to find his son. It was going to happen.

She could feel the tension in Gold's frame from where he walked beside her. Their arms would brush every now and then and she'd get a strange shiver that she knew wasn't from the weather. She glanced over at him.

His jaw was tightly set, and his eyes held a maelstrom of emotion in them. She wanted to remind him that everything would be okay, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate it. She set her mouth in a hard line.

She was worried about him. She had never seen him like this before and it was really throwing her off. What happened to that confident smarmy manipulative business man she'd met when she first came to Storybrooke? Now he was just a cursed broken man looking for his lost son.

Her brow twisted as she mulled over these changes. Henry grabbed her hand, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Emma, we're here!"

She immediately looked up, taking in the building. Then she turned to the address box with the resident's names on it. This was it.

"This is it," she voiced. "Your son should be here." As she finished speaking she rotated to him, trying to catch his eye.

He looked like he was going to be sick. That was it, she decided, to Hell if he got mad or uncomfortable. She strode up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to meet her eyes. Her gaze softened at his frightened look. She could Henry buzzing the room and knew she had to Gold ready.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright," she squeezed his shoulders for encouragement, but he barely nodded. She was going to say something more when a clatter up above diverted her attention.

Someone was running. And by the looks of it, they came out of the apartment that they were looking for. The person had a hood over his face, but she could definitely tell he was a male by his figure. He knew they were coming up and he was running away. She felt such a rush of anger at Gold's kid at that moment.

She wasn't going to let that happen.

She let go of Gold and immediately ran after him, yelling over her shoulder at Gold to watch Henry.

The man jumped down off the fire escape and was quick to continue running. But Emma was good at her job and kept on his tail the whole time. He tried to lose her in the alleys and backstreets, but she continued to follow on his heel.

He turned a corner and she quickly repeated his actions. As she rounded it she heard a loud commotion and saw that he had tripped over some trash. He was already getting up, but she took the opportunity to sprint right at him and hit him at full speed. They both toppled over and Emma landed in front of his escape route. She placed her hands on the ground to get up and looked over at him. His hood had fallen when she collided with him and she had a good look at his face now.

' _No._ '

She wished she hadn't looked at all; she wished she had never come on this trip if this was where it would lead them. Her whole body went cold and she knew it had nothing to do with the weather either. She told herself this wasn't possible, it couldn’t be.

Because as she stared at Neal Cassidy, who had just run out of where _Gold's **son**_ should have been, she knew her world was going to crash down around her.

And she was right.

" _No_."


	32. Kindness

32\. Kindness

She felt sick to her stomach.

Everything was such a whirlwind right now that she didn’t know what to do. It all went so wrong so quickly and she didn’t know how to handle it. So she did the only thing she could do at that moment. She turned from the window and walked away. She didn’t look at _him_ at all.

She felt like she was going to cry. It was all so messed up and she still couldn't wrap her head around it. Neal…he just _couldn’t be_ …he couldn’t be _his_ son. He just couldn’t. It wasn't possible. She curled a hand around her mouth, trying to hold her emotions back.

It just couldn’t be.

She heard the two come back in through the window and she hesitantly turned around after rubbing under her eyes. She wasn't going to show any kind of weakness in his home. Not after what he did.

It was dark outside, she noticed, as her eyes drifted that way. She voiced her observations and began to bring up the idea to leave.

But Henry and Neal didn’t want that.

"You can all stay here if you like," he smiled at Henry. Neal shot a look at Emma, but she purposely ignored him. Just like he purposely ignored his own father.

Henry was ecstatic. "Alright!" he fist pumped. Neal grinned and ruffled Henry's hair. Emma bit the inside of her cheek hard.

"There's a spare bedroom. It's my roommate's, actually, but he's not here at this time. You can use it if you like," he smirked down at Henry and the boy smiled happily before taking off to see his temporary room.

The adults watched him go. A tension quickly spread over everything.

Neal finally turned to them. "There's a foldout bed in the couch, if you like?" he directed this towards Gold, but he showed no emotion on his face. It was as if he were talking to a stranger. She saw Gold hunch his shoulders and wince as though he'd been struck. She felt something swell within her at the sight.

"Thank you, son. That would be lovely," Gold was nothing, if not cordial at this almost blatant hostility. He walked over to the couch and gently set his cane down. She knew that he didn't know what a pullout couch was, and set to walk around and help him.

But Neal's hand wrapped around her upper arm and stopped her.

"Actually, I was wondering, Emma…There's space in my room. You could stay there." He turned his dark eyes on her and she reluctantly met them. She remembered a time when she would lose her breath at the sight of them. But now the only reaction she had was her heart hardening just a little more. She was amazed at the amount of disdain and hurt she had simmering inside her. She was also amazed at his gall.

She narrowed her eyes, "I'd rather sleep on the fire escape." She tried to pull away, but he pulled her closer.

"Emma, please, don't be like that," he pleaded softly. "You can't forget all the good times between us."

She wanted to hit him. She wanted to punch him right in his face and then walk right out the door with Gold and Henry in tow, never to set foot back in Manhattan and to forget that any of this ever transpired.

But she couldn’t do any of that. She was better than that. So she did the next best thing.

She shoved his grip off her and got up in his face. "It will never be the way it used to be. You saw to that yourself when you abandoned everything we had," she snarled. "I'd rather sleep out here with your father than be anywhere with  you."

She didn’t wait for his response, but she could see that what she said rattled him. She didn’t mean for the last part to come out like that, but there it was. Besides, Gold needed desperate help with the couch. From the corner of her eye, she could see him struggling with the cushions, so she went to his side to help.

She could sense Neal still standing there, probably dumbstruck, but she paid no mind. She continued to help Gold and Neal finally just went to his room, leaving them alone.

She took a deep breath and smoothed out the sheets for him. They both stayed quiet throughout the chore. But once Emma finally straightened, he spoke.

"Thank you, Emma…for your help." She turned towards him, shocked. His face was downturned and she wanted to reach over and nudge it back up.

He continued, "Even though I don’t deserve any of it…you still continue to be kind to me." He lifted his eyes to hers and shook his head in wonder, "And I just don’t understand why."

He looked genuinely confused and she could only shrug and smile. "I believe there's more to you than you think there is." He stared at her blankly and she actually let out a laugh. "I have no idea why I am. By all rights I should hate you and scorn you, but…" she turned away and tried to think of why as she toyed with a loose string. She lifted her shoulders again, "I guess I can recognize a desperate soul, too." She returned her gaze over at him, and he straightened. He didn’t say anything back, he only nodded.

She was surprised that she continued to smile.


	33. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off the promo for the new episode and my own hopes ;_______;

33\. Hope

 

The elevator ride was awkward as Hell.

Emma stood in front of the doors, waiting anxiously for them to open. Gold was so lucky that he got to leave a little early to flag a cab. He didn’t have to deal with this tension. And she knew if he had been here it would have been ten times worse.

She let out a small sigh, trying to dispel the tight feeling in her chest, but it stayed where it had been for the past day. She needed to get out of here.

The ding was like the choir from Heaven and she thanked whoever for having mercy upon her. As the doors opened she readied to leap out.

Only to freeze in horror.

There was Gold with his back against the bars. And in front of him she could see Hook ( _why is he here? when did he get here?!_ ) grinning maniacally. And…and….his…

His hook was embedded in Gold's chest.

The sight spurred her into action. " _What are you doing?!_ " she screeched, running for the bars. Hook had let Gold go and his body slumped against the bars, beginning to slide down. She immediately wrapped her arms around him through the bars, frantically trying to find the wound and put pressure on it. She gently lowered them both to the ground and pressed her face against the gate, trying to see his face, to see if he was okay.

"Gold? Gold! Look at me! _Gold!_ " He wasn't responding. The pirate stood above them just admiring the blood on his hook.

"Finally…the Crocodile has felt the _sting_ of _my revenge_ ," he hissed through his teeth, sneering down at the broken man. Emma stared incredulously at him before turning to glance behind her.

"Neal! Call 911! _Now!!_ "She reached up, keeping a steady hand on the wound, and unlatched the gate. Maneuvering quickly she went to Gold's side. Henry came up next to her, but she was focused on getting Gold to keep his eyes open.

"Hey, come on. Stay awake. You can't go to sleep on me now, come on!" She reached up to pat his cheek, but the sight of his blood coating it stopped her in her tracks. Her heart froze up and her brain ceased to function for a moment. When she felt Henry shaking her arm, she snapped back to.

"Neal! Where is that ambulance?!"

Neal was just standing there, not even holding his phone in hand. He just stared back at her, and in his gaze she could see his response. She felt anger flare up from the depths of her.

"I don't give a _damn_ what happened between you and your father. You call that ambulance _now_ , _do you hear me?!_ Get _over_ yourself and _call!_ " Her expression was fierce and left no room for argument. Neal scrambled for his pocket and she was satisfied only when she heard him requesting assistance. She turned to Henry.

"Henry put your hand right here and keep pressure. Yes, that’s right." She guided his hand where it needed to be and with her hands held awkwardly under Gold's chin, she tried to snap him awake. She didn’t want to touch him with his blood, because her hands were coated in it, but she couldn't let him go unconscious. She was worried he wouldn’t wake up.

"Hey," she tapped his cheek with the back of her wrist, "Hey!" His eyes opened wearily and she let out a gush of air. "You need to stay awake, okay? You can't fall asleep, do you understand?"

He stared blearily at her, his eyes unfocused, but _open_ and that was good enough for her. "Make sure he stays that way," she said to Henry. Without hesitating she spun around, grabbed Hook's shirt, and slammed him against the door.

" _What the hell is wrong with you?!_ " she screamed in his face. " _Are you insane?!_ "

He snarled at her, but didn’t try to move away. "You knew what I was planning to do. You can't exactly be surprised, can you?" He curled his lip at her, but his eyes held a wicked gleam. She was this close to wrapping her hands around his neck and squeezing until he never opened that stupid mouth ever again. She shoved him roughly again, and the smirk disappeared. But she didn’t care if he got angry, she was already pissed.

"You can't just walk up to someone and stab them! How did you even get here anyway?! How did you know where we were?!"

He laughed, "My ship is a very special vessel. Capable of more than you know. My secrets are my own. And as to how I found you? Our mutual acquaintance, one Miss Cora, unwittingly helped me." He leaned down closer to her. "It's amazing what fairy dust can do. Even in a horrid world such as this," he cast a disgusted look around the area, "Regardless, it served its purpose. The Dark One's powers are gone outside of town limits, and it gave me the opportune moment that I needed." He had a gleeful look adorning his scruffy face, but she only scowled and pushed him again.

"I didn’t expect you to take it this far!" She growled, her eyes narrowing as she thought once more of the blood on her hands. _His_ blood. Hook must've seen something in her expression, because his completely changed. His face completely closed off, darkening to where _he_ was the one glaring at _her_ now.

"What? Don't tell me that you've actually grown to _care_ about that _reptile_!" He spat the words at her, as though she made him sick. She bared her teeth at him, growling, "I don't feel anything! I just don’t appreciate you killing my ride home!" She shoved him away from her, not looking him in the eye. Pushing her hair out of her face with her arm, she took a deep breath. Where was that ambulance?

"I'm sure, Swan, that that's exactly it," he sneered. "So what even brought you here in the first place? I thought the Crocodile was searching for his son." He once more gave a cursory glance around the room, looking as though he were standing in a trash heap. However, she was caught on his last words.

"What…do you mean? We are looking for his son." she slowly rotated to look back at Hook. From the corner of her eye she could see Neal tensing up.

Hook didn’t sense anything amiss. "Oh really? Then why are you here, love?" he looked genuinely curious, his eyes open with confusion.

Emma stared back at him with wide eyes, still not really understanding what was happening. Her hand lifted limply towards Neal's direction, "Because…that's Gold's son…?" It wasn't a statement anymore. It was a question.

Hook cast a once-over on Neal and scoffed, "No that’s not."

The floor removed itself from beneath her feet.

"What?" she croaked.

Hook finally realized something was off and studied her, "That’s not the boy, Swan. I don’t know who he is," at this he side-eyed Neal. "But the last time I checked, the Dark One's child is in Neverland. And the last time I checked was when I was there _before_ the curse enacted," he informed her.

Emma couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. Her head seemed to creak as it turned to Neal, her eyes no doubt accusing and pleading all at once.

"…Neal…?"

He wasn't looking at her, and his fists were clenched.

"Neal!" It was loud enough that it shocked him into looking at her, and his eyes told her everything.

He lied. He…he _lied_ …. _again_.

"You're…not actually Baelfire…are you?"

He didn’t answer her, but his eyes continued to speak for him.

She was going to throw up. She knew it. It was going to happen. Too many emotions were clogging her mind, and she didn’t know where to start.

The blaring of the ambulance's arrival shook her out of her thoughts. She went to the door and saw it pulling up to the sidewalk. She waved her arm at them to show them where to go, before turning around to Neal and Hook.

"You two better behave or the _Dark One's_ recovery will be the _least_ of your worries." Her expression was murderous and dark and neither spoke, they only nodded fearfully. She stopped worrying about them, knowing they wouldn’t try anything yet. She had to focus.

She had Gold's life to save.


	34. Creative

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (a continuation of 'Hope')

34\. Creative

****_  
  
_

She had been pacing the floor for so long she'd be surprised if there wasn't a giant crater where she was walking. She was worried. He had been in surgery for a few hours now, and she hadn't heard anything as to his condition or how he was faring. She was beginning to bite her nails.

The hall was silent where her and Henry were located. She had left Neal and Hook in the lobby waiting room, telling both of them not to move under pain of death and even told the receptionist to keep an eye on them. If she'd had to, she would've pulled out her badge, but it hadn't come to that. Supposedly they were really quiet in there. She guessed they both had a lot to think about.

She scoffed under her breath. Yea- fulfilled revenge and all the lies that were said.

She turned around and started walking the other way. Henry was sitting in a chair on the other wall, just watching her move back and forth. His mother could be very animated when spurred. He was worried as well though, both for Emma and for Gold. And he was so confused. He knew that Neal was his dad, but…had he really lied about being Gold's son? Why would he do that? And if he wasn't Bae, then who was he? He hadn't read anything--

Noise from behind the door the doctor went through earlier shook them both out of their thoughts. Emma ceased all movement, watching the door like a hawk. The doctor burst through, a calm look in his eye. Despite that, Emma was still nervous. What if this was just a front? He could be used to giving bad news to families and this is just his poker face. Oh God, is Gold dead? Did he die? What was she going to do--?!

He stopped in front of her, and her mouth opened on its own accord.

"How is he? Is he alive?" She asked frantically. The doctor merely smiled at her, something that didn’t do anything for her nerves. At least not anything good.

"Everything is fine, ma'am. He's perfectly stable at the moment. All he needs now is rest and for us to change his bandage before he leaves."

Emma stared at him in shock. "Wait…he's all better? That quickly? But..he was bleeding! All over the place!" The doctor raised his eyebrows in agreement.

"Yes, it is a bit…interesting. But he healed remarkably fast. We were able to stop the bleeding and sew the wound back up with no problems."

Emma couldn’t believe it. Her knees felt like they were going to give out.

"Can I- we go see him?" she asked, correcting herself.

He nodded, "Yes. It should be alright to visit him in a couple of minutes. We need to transfer him to a room first. I need to ask you a few questions as well. First off, what is his name?"

She answered that easily, "Gold." The doctor only stared, "Is that his…first name, or last?"

"Oh! It's his last. His first is Rrrrr-Robert." That was the first 'R' name she could think of. Rumplestiltskin would probably get her a raised brow and a walk to the psych ward.

"Okay," he made a few marks on his clipboard. "May I ask your relation to him? Is he your…father?" he asked, hesitant.

"No-!" she murmured without thinking. A bit too quickly, she realized. She went on, "He's my, uhhh…husband." The first thing that could come to mind, and it was that. She could hit herself. But the man took it easily and continued.

"Well Mrs. Gold, I will let you know when you can visit your husband. It shouldn’t be too long now."

Before he turned away, she remembered something. "Uh, can I ask you something? What happened to the shawl that was wrapped around his neck? Do you still have it?"

The doctor quirked a brow, "Yes, it's still in there. We didn’t have to cut it off. Why, Mrs. Gold?"

"Do you think it'd be possible to put that around him? As soon as possible?" she couldn't believe she had forgotten about it. What if he lost his memories? Oh God, what was she going to do?

He still looked at her with a weird expression, "Um, yes, we can do that. Is there any particular reason why?"

She fumbled for an answer, "Uhhhh, it's a good luck charm. He doesn't feel safe without it, and it would really make me feel better. You know, superstitions and all that." She cracked a smile, and he returned it uneasily.

"Okay, we can do that, I'll do that now." And he walked away. Emma felt like she was in a daze, her mind was still reeling.

He was okay. He was going to live.

An immense rush of relief washed down on her and suddenly she couldn’t stand anymore. She collapsed into a seat against the wall and put a hand to her mouth.

Henry could sense that something was wrong when she continually swiped through her hair and at her eyes. He knew his mother didn’t want anyone to see her emotions, even him, because she didn’t want to seem like she cared. But he knew that she needed some time alone. Despite the fact that her actions confused him, he could at least give her this.

"Hey, mom, I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick, okay? And maybe get some candy?" He asked hopefully. Never pass up the chance for candy- lesson number one in life.

Emma nodded, "Yea, I think there's one right down there," she pointed a bit farther down the wall where a sign informed them that, yes, this was a bathroom. There was a convenient vending machine on the other side.

"Stay where I can see you and don't run off, okay?" she warned him as he darted off. He really did have to go to the bathroom, he wasn't lying about that.

As soon as the door closed behind him, she felt the pricking behind her eyes become stronger. She wasn't crying over _him_. She couldn’t be. It was just that the rush of emotions and issues and revelations were just piling on and she was exhausted. The possibility that Gold could die just didn’t help anything, it just made everything worse.

Something trickled down her cheek and she brought a hand in front of her face, shielding it from wandering eyes. No one could see this. She wouldn’t allow it. She muffled her sobs and kept quiet. She didn’t actually cry all that much, only a few tears leaked out, but her body racked with relief.

Henry opening the door to the bathroom pulled her out of it and she quickly wiped her eyes and face, trying to pull herself together. By the time he came over she was back to normal. He sat down next to her, munching on his chocolate bar. He leaned his head against her shoulder and she automatically wrapped her arm around him.

They both waited in silence.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, the doctor came out again, smiling.

"You can go see him now."

~~

He was asleep, the shawl wrapped securely around his shoulders. He didn’t have his coat on anymore, nor his usual dress shirt and tie. She supposed they had to cut it off to get to the wound and now all he had on was a hospital gown. She would have to get his suitcase before they left so he could change.

His bare arms were unfamiliar and foreign to her, skin that was always covered by silk shirts or expensive suits was now uncovered to her eyes. He really was out of his element here, and it seemed that she was too.

The beeping of the heart monitor kept in time with her breathing as she went to his side. Henry showed up on the other, his eyes wide at seeing Rumplestiltskin out cold in a hospital bed. It was a very unsettling sight, she had to agree.

The doctor came in behind them. "His vitals are stable, and his wound is healing quite nicely. We'd just like to let him rest and see how he is when he wakes up. Until then, you can stay in here with him."

Emma nodded absently, her hand finding its way to his somehow. Despite the setting, his hand was warm. This surprised her as she'd always thought he'd be cold.

…Not that she ever thought about that.

She gripped his hand tighter and turned to the doctor, "Thank you for your help, Doctor." The man nodded and smiled kindly.

"It's no problem at all." And then he turned away and walked out.

And now they waited. Both pulled up a chair and then proceeded to sit and watch the unconscious man breathe. Minutes dragged by until an hour had passed. The heart monitor's beeping began to lull her senses, and she could feel her eyes drooping. Her hand continued to hold his as her head descended until darkness overtook her.

Something woke her up after what seemed like hours. Her eyes fluttered open only to connect with his groggy ones. She unconsciously clenched her hand as she sat up, "Hey." Her voice was thick from sleep. She wondered how long it had been. A glance at the clock told her half an hour. Huh. She guessed it had something to do with her not having any rest the past few days. One look at him told her he was in a similar position.

"Hello," he murmured. He looked confused, as though he didn’t understand why he was there. She squeezed his hand to get his attention and was surprised when it startled him. She started to get worried. He hadn't had the shawl on for awhile. Did he lose his memories?

"Do you remember your name?" she asked, panic coloring her tone. He glanced at her, eyes widened.

"My name…?"

She nodded, trying not to freak out or jump to conclusions.

"My name is Rumplestiltskin." She let out a sigh of relief. "Do you know who I am?"

He shot her a look, "Yes, I know who you are, Emma Swan."

"Do you remember what happened?" He didn’t answer, and after a minute of silence, she supplied the information.

"Hook showed up," his expression cleared as understanding flooded it. "He stabbed you, but the ambulance came quick. They were able to stop the bleeding and patch you back up. Apparently you heal fast," she smirked. Of course he did.

He nodded silently. Her worry grew by a few inches.

"Hey, you okay?"

He looked her in the eye, his gaze suddenly very intense and she found that she couldn't look away.

"Emma…"

"Yea?" she breathed out. He opened his mouth to tell her something and she leaned in to hear it.

But then the doctor walked back in.

And it was then that she realized that Henry had been sleeping as well. He awoke with a start, frantically looking around before settling upon her and the doctor. The man stepped to the end of the bed.

"Hello, Mr. Gold. It's good to see you up and about." His smile was kind but Gold looked at him like he was a flying pig speaking in Mandarin. She wondered briefly if he had ever actually seen one in his lifetime. Then she shook her head for thinking such stupid things. It wasn't the time for that at all.

"We've dressed your bandage while you all slept. We were careful not to wake you, everyone looked so tired," he chuckled. "Your injury is healing nicely, as we expected. If you want you can leave whenever, just check in with the receptionist on the way out. You will need to keep redressing the bandage after you've left, but considering the fast recovery process, it shouldn't be too many more times."

Gold nodded at the instructions. She supposed he was still out of his element, even now. She could see that he wasn't going to answer the doctor who waited with an expectant face.

"Thank you, doctor, for you help. We'll be sure to do that," she forced a smile onto her face. The man turned to her and returned it with a bit more authenticity than she did.

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Gold. Hopefully we won't be seeing you in this situation after this," he laughed. She mustered up a chuckle, "Yes, hopefully."

"Well, I have other patients. I bid you adieu. It was nice to meet you all." She returned the sentiment as he left the room. Then she turned to Gold to continue what they were talking about before the interruption.

His facial expression had changed. He looked at her now with a raised brow.

"What?" she asked defensively. Why was he looking at her like that?

He quirked the side of his mouth, as though wondering why he was going say what he was about to say. She lifted a brow, waiting.

"Mrs. Gold?" he laughed.

A blush spread across her cheeks and down her neck. Oh _crap_.

"It was the only thing I could think of!" She crossed her arms as a barrier against his amused stare.

"I'm sure it was," he grinned.

"Hey!" she raised a finger, "At least it's better than 'Father', huh?"

"True," he conceded her point and she sat back and smirked. 


	35. Rest

35\. Rest

They found the ship sitting in the middle of Time Square. How he parked it there, Emma would never know. She readjusted Gold's arm around her better and started up the stairs. Neal came up behind her with an unconscious Hook. Henry took up the rear, surprisingly silent.

The minute she stepped foot on deck, she could feel the magic thrumming through the wood. Gold groaned next to her and she set for the Captain's quarters immediately.

But Gold resisted when he saw her heading that way. For a guy who was half delirious from deadly poison, he sure was strong. She had to catch herself from falling when he dug his heels in.

She let out a great sigh, "Dammit, Gold, you have to lay down!"

He snorted, "Not in his cabin, dearie. I may be dying, but I still have standards." His critique fell short, however, when he doubled over in pain. Her brow twisted in worry as his hand clutched his chest.

She was angry at herself. She shouldn’t have let Hook that close to him. He shouldn’t have been able to stab Gold at all if she was there. And yet, he still somehow got by her and now look at the damage he left in his wake.

"I don’t care about your 'standards', you _need_ to rest!" And without letting him try to stop her, she dragged him to the door. Kicking it open she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. The room was lavished in deep reds and shiny golds, lush velvet lined the walls and the bed. Treasures filled every corner and empty spot and maps littered the surface of his desk. Rum bottles were stashed in odd spots, some empty and some not. This was definitely a pirate who embodied the role perfectly.

'Really self-important, isn't he?' she thought rudely as she forcibly sat Gold down on the bed. It was really cushioned and he sunk right into it. It was probably helped by her hands that were planted on his chest.

"Stay still and _rest_! Or that poison will spread even more quickly!" She didn’t know if that was true or not, but he was getting paler by the minute and his breathing became even more laborious. Her brow knitted and her hands softened.

The change in her expression made him pause and she took that time to brush some hair out of his face. He flinched when she made contact and her hand froze.

That’s right. She wasn't supposed to do that. It wasn't right. It never was.

Her hand trembled as she pulled it back, leaving it to sit on his chest. It stuttered as he drew in his breaths roughly.

"You need to stay okay until we can get back. Once we're there, you'll be cured, okay?" she could hear the hopeful tone in her voice and her hand clenched in irritation at herself. But what was she to do? She had to continue to hope that things would turn out. That’s how it's always been. Because if she doesn’t…then what's there to look forward to? She couldn’t imagine a life without…

His hand over hers brought her out of her thoughts. It shook as though he were unsure if it was okay, him touching her. She opened her hand to allow his fingers to slip through, and then proceeded to grip his hand with the intention of not letting go.

"You're gonna be alright, Gold," she whispered. Despite the soft tones, her voice was filled with determination and intensity, "I'm going to make sure of it." It was an unspoken promise. Unsaid in the way that she didn’t have to speak the actual words. He knew that she would do everything in her power to make him better. She always honored her word.

Footsteps coming to the door snapped them both out of the daze. Neal stood at the door, a strange look on his face as he took them in.

"We're about to set sail. Hook is in the brig. We took his hook off," he held up the metal object, " I thought I'd leave it with you…" the weird expression was still being directed at them and Emma reached her free hand out for it, ignoring him.

"I'm going to...go start the…ship," he finished awkwardly, his arms pointing in the general ship area. Emma nodded and waited for him to leave. He did so only after giving them one more weird look.

She turned back to Gold. "You should try going to sleep,” she continued as though there had been no interruption.

He let out a bark of laughter. It didn’t sound joyful at all. "I wish I could, dearie, I honestly do. But I don’t see that happening soon."

Her hand clenched around his, "Then just sit back and relax, okay? I don’t want to make the wound worse than it already is."

He lifted his head to object, but something in her gaze stopped him. His mouth slowly closed as his eyes softened. His lips quirked at the corner before he nodded. His head dropped back with a plop, his hair fluttering around his face. He settled in and she got comfortable.

She sat next to him and watched as he ended up falling asleep, his hand wrapped securely around hers. She didn’t move until Neal parked the ship and came to get them.


	36. Entwined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (began writing this before 2x16)

36\. Entwined

****

"You don’t know what you're talking about!" she scoffed at him. How dare he try to set her up with Neal. She couldn’t believe he was trying to do it again.

"Oh please, dearie, it's as plain on your face as words in a book," the last sound came out biting, and she flinched, but stood firm.

They were in the back of his shop, a few days after curing him. Neal had acclimated himself nicely, having Tamara move in without a hitch. Henry was loving having his father so near, and she could finally understand Regina's bitterness at being so quickly pushed aside. However, that’s where her compassion ended for the other woman, reminding herself of the other things that set them far apart. The fact that everyone kept comparing them still rubbed her the wrong way.

Henry still hasn't smiled at her once since he found Neal.

But despite the fact that that side of this dysfunctional family was happy, Gold still felt the need to push her onto his son.

"Look, it's not going to happen. So would you back off?" This is what she got for being concerned about him. She had come to check on him, see if his injury was fully healed. She had been worried since Hook knocked her over, and this is how he repaid her. She could strangle him right now.

She didn’t need him shoving her at Neal. She didn’t want him too. Every time she even thought about the fact that they were now technically considered 'family', she could feel something crack within her chest. She didn’t want to be reminded.

"But why, Miss Swan? Why deny yourself something that you obviously _want_ and _deserve_?" he gestured with his hand theatrically and she found her eyes following each curve as it arched through the air.

No. She didn't want to be reminded at all.

"Because…because its none of your business! Why are you pushing this?" She finally exclaimed, throwing her arms up and walking straight up to him. He reared back, not expecting her to stand so close. She heard an intake of breath and wanted to smirk.

"Because, is it so hard to believe that I just want what's best for you?"

She shot him a look, her brow lifted high on her forehead. He nodded his head in agreement, "Okay, maybe it is, but it's true." His eyes traveled over her features, "You deserve some happiness, Emma. It’s the least that’s owed to you."

It was then that she became aware of the heat emanating from his body. It seemed to leech onto her and infiltrate her own body, spreading upward to her cheeks till a full-blown blush encompassed her.

She did want happiness. She yearned for it.

She felt the hope drain out of her, knowing how dumb she was being. She knew that happiness just wasn't for her, it was always just out of reach. Just like it was now.

A frown marred her features and he copied the movements. He looked confused at her sudden change of behavior, and she couldn’t blame him. She began to move away, not wanting to continue to torture herself.

But he reached out and held her in place.

Tingles shot up her arm and a shiver lit its way up her spine. She glanced up into his eyes, nervous all of a sudden.

"Emma…" he trailed off, licking his lips. His eyes were wide, and she could detect a hint of wildness in them. He looked desperate all of a sudden, but this time it wasn't because of a bad situation.

Another shiver shot down her body and she suddenly couldn’t find her breath.

"I…" he tried once more, his eyes glancing down on her face on their own accord. He licked his lips again, almost unconsciously. Suddenly she had to make him understand. She stepped to him once again, closer than before.

"I don't want Neal anymore," she wrapped a hand around his arm, gently applying pressure to make him understand what she was trying to say. "I don’t want to be with Neal."

"…Emma," his voice was low and gravelly and she clenched her hand without realizing. She leaned in more. "I…can't."

She pulled back, feeling as though he'd slapped her. Then she remembered.

Belle.

As a white hot pain shot through her heart, she wrenched her hand away and took as many steps back as she could without leaving the room.

Once again…right beyond her reach.

She turned from him, arms wrapped around herself as though trying to hold everything in.

"Sorry, I forgot about her, I wasn't thinking. It won't happen again." She was rambling and she knew it, but she needed to get out of there, away from him and this situation. She had been so careful up till now. Perfectly placed distances and masks and words to keep these types of things at bay and far away. And it was all going to Hell, because now she knows that anything that could come from this is completely wrong and it can't be hers.

It was never hers to begin with.

"Her? You mean-…You mean Belle?" his voice sounded incredulous, enough so that she had to turn back around to see his expression. "That’s, Emma that’s not what I meant at all."

She took a step closer. "Then what did you mean?" her voice shook and she realized that she didn’t care.

He studied her face, his eyes softening, "Oh luv, I just…" he clenched his jaw, his hands reaching up as though to bring her near. But he stopped himself. They went back to his sides.

"I want you to be happy, but…it's just not with me," he laughed, but it wasn't jovial. It was filled with self-loathing and bitterness. He stepped away from her, but she covered the distance in three long strides.

"I'll decide that for myself." She stated, her head held high and her goal clear in mind. His eyes widened before narrowing.

He leaned in, "Are you sure, princess? This is dangerous territory you're embarking on." His voice was dark and rough again and she didn’t have to answer or think about it because she had made her decision long ago.

She brought her hands up and softly cupped his face. He startled, but she didn’t let that deter her. Stroking his cheek, she leaned forward, her intentions clear.

He met her halfway and they fused together in a way Emma hadn't expected. Her hands ran around his neck and into his hair, trying to get as close to him as physically possible. He seemed to have the same idea, as he gripped her hips and grinded them against his. She gasped and pulled his hair roughly and he slammed her into his desk in retaliation.

Soon their bodies were wrapped completely around each other and she found that this was what she had been reaching for all this time. And she had to admit- it was definitely worth the wait. 


	37. Hidden

37\. Hidden

"Gold? Are you here?" Charming called out as he walked in behind Mary Margaret. The shop was empty in the front room, despite the fact that the open sign was up. Mary Margaret glanced back at him, confused.

"Didn’t he say he was going to meet us at his shop?"

Charming nodded, "Yea, he did say that." He wasn't surprised though. He knew better than to take the imp at his word. He had a habit of twisting things to his own purposes and showing when and where he felt like.

"Gold?!" he shouted one more time, beginning to head to the back of the shop.

Rustling and a muffled groan and female giggle made him pause. He waited for whoever to show as their footsteps neared the entryway.

Gold came into view, his clothes rumpled and his hair definitely not in its usual perfect order. He ran a hand through it and wiped a hand across his mouth. As he straightened his tie out he gave Charming a decidedly sharp look.

"Yes, Charming, what can I help you with?"

The prince studied him, "We were supposed to meet up, remember? We needed to talk about-"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes I remember," Gold cut him off impatiently. He seemed eager to get back to the backroom. "Can we perhaps discuss this at a better time? I don't have everything I require to continue this conversation."

Charming side-eyed him, "I suppose. Next time will you have everything ready? This is kind of important, and I'd-"

"Of course. I'll be completely ready for the next time. You have my word, Charming," he gave a friendly smile, but Charming didn’t buy his nice guy act for one second. Something was up with the Dark One. He wondered who was back there with him.

But before he could voice his curiosity, Mary Margaret had begun to pull him away from the counter.

"At least we now have some time on our hands. We could go get some lunch." As they neared the door, she turned back to say something else.

"Um, Mr. Gold?"

The man had been halfway out of the front room. He stiffened and reluctantly rotated back around to answer her. "Yes, dearie?"

"Did Emma stop by? She was supposed to meet us here to discuss it with us, but she never showed."

For a second Gold looked as though he were restraining himself, but he quickly got himself under control. He gave her a confused look, "No, can't say she did. She hasn’t stopped by since a few days ago."

"Hm," Mary Margaret pursed her lips, "I wonder where she is." She turned to Charming, but he could only shrug. "I'm sure we'll find her, Snow, don’t worry. She might even be at Granny's for all we know."

"True…" she glanced back at Gold, who kept sneaking looks into the back room. His hand was turning white from how roughly he was gripping the doorjamb.  When he licked his lips, she knew it was time to leave.

" _Anyway_ \- thanks Mr. Gold, for your help. We'll try again in a few days." She smiled as she stepped out the door. Charming exchanged nods with the former-pawnbroker and followed his wife.

The minute they were gone, Gold heard exuberant laughter fill the shop. He grinned and followed it as quickly as he could. As he turned the corner, he had to stop for a moment and take in the sight that greeted him.

Emma was still sitting on the desk in the back, her hair looking worse than his and her clothes half off. She was grinning from ear to ear and he thought she had never looked more beautiful than now. She beamed at him from her spot, her eyes alight with happiness and something else. He could do nothing but go to her.

"I haven't stopped by, have I?" she asked teasingly. As he came closer, she welcomed him with open arms, bringing him back into her warmth. He grinned and leaned in to nuzzle her ear.

"Technically, you didn't. You're still here, aren't you?" He growled playfully in her ear, hugging her to him. She responded in kind, chuckling into his hair as she ran her fingers through it.

"I suppose that’s true," she laid a kiss on his clothed shoulder, continuing her progress from before her parents showed up and began slowly removing his shirt and tie again. She was able to unbutton it all the way, but when she reached for the tie around his neck, he pulled away slightly.

He looked serious and she tried to control her breathing to hear him out properly. He brought a hand up and brushed it across her cheek, watching as she closed her eyes in response. She couldn’t get enough of this man, she realized. And she never wanted to.

"I want it to stay that way."

She opened her eyes to see him still staring at her with an intensity that made her heart thump.

"Stay in what way?" she asked breathlessly. He leaned in and she rose to meet him, but he evaded her when his lips ghosted over her cheek instead. He pulled away and she held in her groan of disappointment.

"I want you to always be here. With me." His thumb brushed along her jaw and she leaned into it. "And I don’t want to hide it away."

At that her eyes cleared and focused on him. His eyes were wide with honesty and a touch of fear. It surprised her at how much he allowed his emotions to show around her, even after all this time. She reached a hand up to copy his position, cupping his jaw with a soft hand.

"And you think I do?"

His jaw moved under her hand as he clenched it, "Do you?"

Her eyes darted between his, trying to convey what she thought. Then she grabbed his tie and pulled him to her. He went willingly and she continued to kiss him till they were both breathless.

"No, I don’t," she answered him honestly. He gently rubbed his hands up and down her back, holding her close. "I want everyone to know how you make me feel. I just wanted to keep it between us for a little while," she leaned in and nipped his top lip. "Makes it a bit more fun, don't cha think?"She grinned up at him.

"I suppose," he drawled, his accent making her shiver. He suddenly gripped her hips and pulled her against him. A moan strangled itself in her throat and she let her head dip back. One of his hands slipped into her hair from the back, holding her in place.

He kissed a sensitive spot underneath her jaw, "And how do I make you feel, _Emma_?" his voice went deep and husky as he growled it into her skin. She didn’t hold back her moan this time.

She tangled her hands in his hair and brought him level with her. She whispered her answer before leaning in, knowing she wasn't going to leave anytime soon.

"Magical. _Loved_."


	38. Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really checked over, but it took forever to finish, so here it is :)

38\. Bright

Belle floated down the aisle, adorned in white and smiling happily at the groom waiting for her. Gold followed her every step with his eyes, still unbelieving that this was really happening.

The vows were exchanged. The bride and groom held hands and never looked away from each other. Gold dimly heard the preacher say that it was now time to kiss the bride. And so he saw Belle lean in…

And Jefferson met her halfway, pulling his new wife close to his heart, where she would stay for the rest of their days.

Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered for the newlyweds, standing up to watch them walk back down the aisle. The pews started to clear, but Gold merely stood in place, his gaze following the girl who he had once believed to be his True Love. It seems that it really was not meant to be. He felt as though his last chance for happiness was slipping through his fingers.

He heard her walk up behind him, but he didn’t acknowledge her when she spoke.

"They look happy, don’t they?"

A silence. She waited him out.

"Yes. They do."

Another silence and a moment later he felt a hand on his arm, "Come on, Rumplestiltskin. Let's go take advantage of the free bar."

And he let Emma lead him away.

"You holding up alright?"

He wanted to drown in his scotch. "Do I look like I'm 'holding up', Miss Swan?" he grouched.

She only raised an eyebrow at his crankiness. It didn’t seem to bother her. He supposed she expected it.

"Actually, yes."

He shot her a look from behind his hair.

"From what I've heard, if one's 'True Love' is away from them, the other person seems to die from heart break." Her voice was sarcastic and biting, but her eyes showed the bitterness and sadness she wouldn't tell. "But here you are, still breathing and living. Your frown isn't even as murderous as it usually is. I expected you to be gouging people for early rent or something."

He scowled at that, and she smirked. "There it is! That's what I mean," she pointed at his face with the drink still in hand.

He rolled his eyes and took another sip. They sat in silence, both wallowing in their drinks and loneliness. Growing bored, he allowed his eyes to wander the bar and then to the side where people were dancing and conversing in their nice formal attire. He cast a glance over at Emma, realizing something.

She was wearing a dress. A very pretty, girly dress.

He gave her a onceover, taking it in, knowing this was a rare opportunity.

She caught him looking. "What?" she asked, harshly. "Is there a problem?"

"You…are wearing a dress," he stated simply.

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "Yes, Sherlock, I am. Because this is a wedding and showing up in jeans is something that people would frown upon." She turned her nose up at him, "Or leather pants, for that matter."

He gave her a hurt look, "Is that supposed to be a jab at my taste in fashion? I'll have you know that my leather pants were the talk of the forest. I've made princesses swoon at my feet with them."

Emma let out an unintentional giggle at the image. The alcohol must be getting to her already. "Oh God, I can just imagine." An unladylike snort escaped and she started laughing harder.

He watched as she slumped over onto the counter, holding it for balance. He himself couldn’t hold in the chuckles. She turned to him and they just continued to laugh.

It took awhile before either calmed down, but when they did Emma knocked back the rest of her drink in one go.

"Oh man, I needed that. It's been so stuffy lately." The bartender came over to refill the drink at her beckoning, and when he walked away Emma turned to be greeted by Gold's offered drink.

"I know exactly what you mean, love."

She smirked and clinked her drink against his. Bringing hers to her lips, she didn’t remove her gaze from his as she drank the contents.

Unbeknownst to them, a couple was twirling on the dance floor, taking glances at the two at the bar with interest.

"You see, sweetheart? He's doing fine," Jefferson soothed his new bride. Belle had been worried about Rumplestiltskin since she revealed they were engaged.

Jefferson understood why. After all, the Dark One was prone to drowning in his self-contempt and hatred and sorrow, and this could, quite easily in fact, push him over the edge. She fretted that he'd be brooding in the corner the whole time.

But there he was, laughing it up with the Savior. They looked quite cozy too, if he did say so himself.

"Are you sure?" Belle asked, keeping one eye on her former partner as she and her husband spun around the floor.

"Yes, dear, I am," he leaned down and kissed her cheek. That made her turn and smile brilliantly at him. She kissed him chastely on the mouth.

"I'm just worried. You know how he is." She glanced back over at Rumplestiltskin. "I just want to make sure he's okay. I may not be in love with him anymore, but I still care."

She turned imploringly back to Jefferson, hoping he understood why this mattered to her. And he did, and she could see that in his eyes and smile. He turned them again so they could see Rumplestiltskin at the bar more clearly.

"I think he's faring very well. As is our resident Charming princess."

"How do you mean?" Belle asked, a quizzical look on her beautiful face.

He pointed with a finger, "See how brightly her eyes shine at him?"

Belle peered closer, "Yes."

"His are brighter," he whispered into her hair near her ear.

Belle's mouth fell open as she realized this. Then she smiled softly at the couple.

She turned to him, their faces still close. Her eyes danced in the light and he was once again struck by how lucky he was. He caught her lips in a searing kiss and instead of being surprised by it, she returned it as though she expected it.

She rested her forehead against his when they parted. "I love you, you know that. I may be able to see the good in things, but you seem to see everything more clearly."

His heart warmed and he brought her closer, nuzzling his nose in her neck. "I love you."

She whispered the same sentiment against his lips as they continued to sway with each other.

Across the room, Gold had completely forgotten his earlier dark thoughts. Emma was cheering him up without even trying and he couldn’t remember ever feeling this lighthearted.

He was continuously blinded by how bright her smile was. He spent the rest of the night trying to bring it out as much as he could.

What he didn’t know was that it was there to stay.


	39. Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait xD

39\. Shadows

  
"That's our common ground, Miss Swan."

He had said this to her once, and it still surprises her how right he was about it. It continues to scare and shock her at how much they had in common. Their trust issues and the consequential inability to let anyone past arms length. The loss of their sons and their strive to get them back. The cynicism that was embedded deep in their bones, created from the hate and agony that continued to plague their lives.

Their demons were frighteningly similar, and the shadows in their souls were connected in a way that she could not deny.

So when their eyes catch each other, or a hand brushes skin, she can feel those dark tendrils inside her reach out for him. And she knows he feels the same thing when his eyes darken.

They're desperate souls, as he once said. Linked in a way that seemed to transcend True Love and all types of magic. Their shadows intermingled with each other and she realizes that it had gotten to the point where they were inexplicably attached to one another, unable to let go.

The grays in her life had taken over, and she finds that she does not mind anymore as long as he was there with her, drowning in the mixtures of Light and Dark together. 


	40. Heart

40\. Heart

"I have a question."

Rumplestiltskin glanced over his shoulder from where he was sitting. She was lounging on the stool behind his spinning wheel, slowly and almost unconsciously turning it. Her eyes were glazed and she seemed deep in thought. Her voice had been soft and not quite whimsical.

He hesitated, absurdly unsure of whether he should break her reverie. "Yes, love?" he wanted to cringe at the slimy sound of his voice, but she did not seem to mind it one bit. In fact her eyes softened and a small smile flitted across her face. Her shoulders seemed to lose a bit of tension.

"I know that being a product of True Love gives me certain…abilities. But is that all I am?"

He scrunched his eyebrows and slowly turned on his seat to fully face her. They were across the room from each other; he had been working on a potion at the table against the wall. She had called upon him and being the benevolent host he was, who was he to deny her? Especially such a lovely princess as she is? She had asked to spend some time in his castle, and he did not refuse her. They had been sitting quietly with small bouts of conversation for a couple of hours now. However, he had not expected this inquiry from her.

"What do you mean?"

Emma stopped spinning the wheel momentarily, her hand trembling imperceptibly. But he could still see it. He slowly stood and began to make his way to her, his steps silent and sure.

She brought her hand down to lightly caress the base of the device. Her other hand reached out to the spool of string.

"What makes me who I am? Am I good just because of my parents? Am I only powerful because of my heritage? Of how I was created?" Her brow was creased and he longed to reach over and smooth it back out. But he knew his hands were not meant for her, so he resisted the urge to run over. He continued his slow trek.

"Are you asking me whether you would be evil if not for your parents?" He lightly teased, trying to coax her out of her weird funk. Her mouth quirked at the corner, but he counted it as an accomplishment.

"Is it what defines me, Rumplestiltskin?" she looked up at him, her deep eyes stopping him in his tracks with their intensity. "Who would I be if I had not been made of True Love? If magic hadn't existed, would I still be as special as I am?"

He stood tall a few feet from her, a solitary figure in the middle of the room covered in red carpets and magical objects. The distance between them seemed so far. He walked closer.

"Of course you would, dearie."

He could see her clenching her jaw, her eyes narrowing, "How are you so sure? Because trust me, based on the things I've done in my life, I wouldn’t say that I'm as good of a person as everyone thinks."

He cocked his head, his feet continuing their journey. He was much closer, but not quite there yet. "Everyone has shadows in their life, love. It's what they make of them that defines them."

She scoffed.

"You don't believe me? Dear, have you ever noticed the difference between your mother and Regina?"

She looked at him questioningly, her curiosity piqued.

"I may not like the woman, but I can't deny that Regina has had a tough time in her life. Your mother has too, in fact. She has been dealing with death and loss since the earlier years of her life. However, the thing that separates them is simply this: Regina chose to become Evil, to commit horrible acts and go down the path of revenge and hatred, while your mother made the best of what she could, and kept that light of good inside her. And trust me, love, your mother had plenty of reasons to give up and turn to the Dark Side. But she didn’t. She is not called Snow White for no reason, dearie."

Emma stared at him, her expression indefinable. "Take me for instance," he started, dropping his gaze to the floor, unable to meet hers. "I have had the chance to do the right thing. I could've quit magic and kept my son and lived happily. But I chose not to. And because of that…I have lost almost everything that could've made me happy. I could easily blame it on the Curse of the Dark One…but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?" he sent a bitter smirk at her, before once again dropping his eyes.

"It is our choices that define us, love." He was standing in front of her now, with only the spinning wheel separating them. She craned her neck to look up at him; her eyes were wide and clear and the all-too familiar crease in her forehead was surprisingly missing.

"I wouldn't say that mine are all that noble though."

He let out a chuckle before snapping his fingers. A stool of his own appeared and he placed it next to hers and sat down. "You, my dear, are what we call a gray character."

She quirked a brow. "A 'gray character'? And what exactly is that?"

He faced forward, still not meeting her eyes, "You have a mixture of dark and light within you. But, like your mother, you usually choose the light." He turned to her finally, his eyes lacking the teasing glint that usually accompanied them.

Neither spoke for a couple of beats. He could feel a thumping in his chest and wondered what it could be. Her eyes did not let him go as she spoke.

"I think you are too, you know? A gray character."

He began to scoff, but her hand on his wrist stopped him. "You've done some pretty good things in your life as well."

He clenched his free hand, "No, love, I haven't." he spoke lowly, an anger growing within him. Not at her, never at her, but at himself.

She paused. "Do you remember when Mary Margaret and I came back from the Enchanted Forest, and I confronted you about your hand in all of this?" Her free hand swung about, in the general area of what 'this' meant.

"You said that it was inside me, that ability and everything I had done up until then." She turned in her seat to look completely at him, moving her head to where he had to look at her. "Something I've noticed in this world is how important one's heart is. That’s where your light or darkness lies, it's where your feelings and hidden secrets are. It is where your choices are made."

She picked his hand up and laid it over her heart, her hand covering his gently. Then she picked it up and brought it to his chest, right over where the thumping noise he felt resided. He glanced at her.

"I think it's more than our choices that define us. It's what's in our hearts that’s important."


	41. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (VERY AU. WROTE THIS AWHILE AGO ACTUALLY. VERY SAD. LIKE THAT OTHER ONE I DID)

41\. Sacrifice

 

She watched, horrified, as his body slumped to the ground. She couldn’t believe he had done that.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle screamed. Emma watched as the brunette threw herself at him, frantically trying to revive him.

Hook smirked at Emma, his hook smeared in blood. _His_ blood. "When a man doesn’t fight for what he wants, he gets what he deserves," he murmured. Emma stared at him incredulously, her mouth still hanging open in shock. She glanced back at Gold.

Belle had moved him onto his back, and he seemed to be gasping for air. For some reason he had actually been wounded by the weapon, something Emma thought impossible with Gold's abilities.

But there he lay, his suit soaked in blood.

She ignored her mother and father when they tried to pull her back. She ignored Hook standing in her way. She even ignored Belle who was screaming at her to _do something_! She just stumbled over and dropped to her knees next to him.

Her hand hovered over his face, unsure of whether she was allowed to touch him or not. Or if she even wanted to.

His eyes connected with hers as he took laborious breaths. Her hand moved on its own and stroked through his hair, the other laid itself over the wound carefully.

She felt tears sting her eyes, but she refused to let them show. "Why would you do that?" she croaked.

He grinned at her, "Why not, dearie?" his voice was weak, and so unlike his usual self. She hated it, she wished she could do _something_.

"Stop speaking in riddles! Not now of all times!" She cried angrily. He studied her expression as his went slack. His eyes softened on her.

"Not everything is black and white, love. I did this for a reason. One I'm not sure you're ready for." She stared at him, unable to speak. His eyes bore into her, and suddenly…she understood.

The tears flowed down her face.

"You're an idiot, Gold. An absolute idiot."

He only smiled at her peacefully.

She laid her head on his chest and wept.


	42. Eye

42\. Eye

His eyes were so interesting in this world.

Not that they weren't interesting back in Storybrooke. Dark molten chocolate pools surrounded by dark eyelashes. They were usually what caught her attention whenever he entered a room. They were usually what kept her up some nights when the darkness could not keep out her straying thoughts.

But here…they practically radiated the magic from within him. There was no doubt that he was a creature not from her world. Large reptilian eyes that seemed to see through everything and everyone. Sharpened and focused on the details as always, looking for the edges and loopholes in all that around him.

The only thing that hadn't changed, she mused, was how they looked upon her- with the hint of a spark and admiration, naked fondness, and the most understanding she had ever come across in her lifetime. 


	43. Blood

43\. Blood

The words from the Seer hadn't stopped running through his ears since the moment she spoke them.

When Henry showed, he had pushed it back, hoping against all hope that it was not him. That this wasn't the child he had promised to get rid of. But as time went on and Neal revealed himself through Henry, he knew he couldn’t hold it back anymore.

He had to take action. Because when push came to shove, he was still a coward, still clinging to his wretched life. He didn’t want to give it up, not this life, not his magic.

Lacey was a perfect excuse, a perfect distraction from keeping his guard up. She liked his 'evil' side, she liked when he became that ugly monster. So he just let himself do it, he let himself fall into the dark void he had spent centuries staying out of. He became the beast he had tried so hard to suppress.

He had planned numerous ways to get rid of the boy. Lacey would encourage him to do all he could to become as powerful as he could be. She wanted the immortality, the bending of reality, the riches. (He ignored that it wasn't really him she wanted, because really he's used to ignoring the blatant facts like this.) She wanted the thrill of being with such a bad guy, so he gave it to her. He gave in to her.

He separated himself as best he could from the Charmings. Especially their daughter. He knew if he looked at her, she would _know_. She would figure out how twisted he had become since coming back to Storybrooke and she would try to stop him. Maybe even succeed, if her past actions were any indication.

But he couldn’t let her in. He couldn’t let her try. So he avoided her.

(he found out pretty quickly how much he missed her, but he suppressed those thoughts whenever they'd arise in the middle of the night. Lacey was enough, he kept telling himself. Just Belle's face was enough, he told himself. He was happy.) ( ~~It never worked~~ )

He had finally found the perfect plan. And he had finally been able to go through with it.

But despite all of his infinite knowledge, he still ended up forgetting one little thing.

Magic always comes with a price.

And as he stood there, looking over at where the boy was supposed to be, he could feel his whole world crashing down around his ears.

Because where Henry was supposed to be, now lay Emma, her arms curled around her son in an attempt to save him. Henry was staring blankly up at his mother, unable to grasp that she wasn't moving. He didn’t try to get up, nor to remove her arms from around him. He still couldn’t wrap his head around what had just occurred.

Emma was staring up at Gold with empty accusing eyes. But she did not move. The only thing that was in motion was the red seeping out of her body onto the ground and into her once shining golden hair. Her blood seemed to taint everything in his vision and only then did he let the full realization of what he'd done sink in.

And he dropped to his knees. 


	44. Bandage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of fluff after the angsty previous chapter

44\. Bandage

James was crying.

The sound reverberated within him, and Gold immediately stopped what he was doing and set into action. He ran outside, totally ignoring the pain in his leg, and searched frantically for the origin of the voice.

His eyes finally settled on two figures kneeling on the ground halfway out in the yard. He quickly moved towards them, only one goal in mind: stop the crying, fix whatever was broken.

"It's okay, kid, it's alright." He could hear her comforting their boy. Emma had come a long way since becoming a mother. She had gathered James in her arms and was wiping gently at their son's scraped knee with a wet washcloth. Her voice was soft and soothed the boy who had already stopped crying. Gold walked up and sat in front of them, his hand outstretched ready to heal it all better.

But Emma held up her hand and he halted his actions. She gave him a look and he dropped his hand.

She turned back to her son's wound and made sure to apply the Neosporin before putting a Band-Aid on it. She gently rubbed it down and then leaned over and gave it a kiss. Gold could see James's knee glow for a moment and then turn normal, and he held back a smile.

"There," Emma whispered. "All better," she smiled down at James and he readily returned it.

"Thanks, mama!" and in seconds was back on his feet, running back to where his brothers were waiting to continue playing.

The two watched the boys play for a bit and then he turned to her. She raised a brow at his expression.

"You wanted to show off, didn’t you?" he accused her. A tiny curl on the edge of his lips told her he didn’t mean any harm.

She smirked blatantly at him, "I don’t want him going to magic for everything. Sometimes we need things to be a little old fashioned, ya know?"

He chuckled at that, "Oh yes, love, I know." He sat and smiled at her for a moment or two before standing up. He offered her a hand, "Join me inside for a bit?"

She grinned, "Speaking of old fashioned…" She placed her palm in his and he pulled her up in one fluid motion. She linked arms with him and the two made their way back to the house. 


	45. Wound

45\. Wound

"Emma! Please! Wait, I didn’t-!"

Emma suddenly whirled around, "No!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Don’t give me that bullshit. You knew what you were doing!"

"Oh yea?" Neal yelled back, "Well, maybe so, but don’t give me that innocent act!"

Her eyes widened in indignation, "Excuse me?!" she shrieked.

"You can't give me that, Emma! You can't act like the victim here! You know what you did!"

"Oh really? What did I do?"

Neal got up in her face then and she planted her feet and kept her chin up defiantly.

"Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you look him," he muttered lowly, his eyes betraying the anger below. She felt her back stiffen but refused to show any emotion.

"I don’t know what you're talking about," she hissed.

He scoffed, "Oh, I'm sure, Emma."

She shoved him away, "I don't!" She turned to walk away, but his hand reached out and roughly grabbed her arm. He pulled her back.

"Oh really?" he spat, "You don’t know how you could possibly be looking at _my father_ the way you used to look at me?"

She wrenched her arm away violently and then brought it back quickly, slapping him soundly across the face. His head snapped to the side and the echo reverberated against the waves that lapped against the dock where they stood.

He slowly looked back at her, a bright red handprint adorning his cheek. His expression was deathly serious. "You know I'm right."

Before she could stop it, an emotion spasmed across her features and he easily caught it. She cursed the fact that he had been so attuned to her emotions once upon a time. But this wound was too close, and she didn’t know how to fix it.

He straightened up and moved back towards her, a new light in his eye. "You know I'm right," he said with more conviction, as if she had confirmed it. She pushed her shoulders back, hardening her expression.

"It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t excuse you from all the hurt you've caused- to me and to Henry."

He opened his mouth to retort, but she was already walking away.

He didn't follow her. 


	46. Pain

46\. Pain

She hated that feeling. The one she got whenever she saw them together. When she'd walk into his shop to see them smiling happily to one another. When he'd turn away from her to go stand by the brunette's side.

Sometimes it was like when the realization hit her that Neal had betrayed her. More often than not it was worse.

So she did what she always did in situations like this. She pulled away. She built her walls up taller and bulkier than before. She became numb to everything. Especially the way he made her feel.

It was easier that way. 


	47. Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK BUT THE LAST SEASON OF THE SHOW JUST REALLY SUCKED AND RUINED MY LOVE FOR THE SHOW SO ITS TAKEN ME THIS LONG TO FINALLY GET ENOUGH OF THAT CRAP OUT OF MY SYSTEM TO KINDA MAKE THIS. I HOPE ITS ALRIGHT

47\. Friendship

_"What's your price?"_

_"Forgiveness."_

_"How about tolerance?"_

_"Well that’s a start."_

Never let it be said that Gold isn't a persistent man when he puts his mind to it. When he wants something, he goes after it, no bars hold. He's almost like a bulldog with a bone…well, if that bulldog had a nice three-piece suit and silky hair that lay just _so_.

She shouldn’t have expected him to drop his mission that easily. When he wants something, he'll do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes.

The next time he brought it up, was when he was in jail. It was after she got back with the ice cream, but before his phone call. He had been silent after the Mayor's visit, but the treat seemed to perk him up a bit.

"Excuse me, Sheriff, but may I go wash my hands?" he called over to her where she was sitting in her office.

She quirked a brow, "What? Can't handle the aftermath of your choices?" she was half-teasing, but he took it all the same. He smirked at her, but said nothing about her double-meaning.

"Please."

She held his gaze but eventually gave in, "Alright, fine. But I'm going with you- no funny business."

She walked over to his cell and stuck the key in. As the door swung open he leaned near her, "I wouldn’t dream of it, dear Sheriff." He stayed there for a moment, a breath away, before walking away. She gathered her wits and grabbed his arm, keeping him with her.

Him being a cripple, she didn’t think he was much of a flight risk, but she didn’t want to risk it, so she kept a firm grip on him and lead him to the bathroom to wash up. He did his business, sometimes glancing up at her through the mirror (to which she'd pointedly look away and pretend she wasn't blatantly staring at him- or his ass) (but man could he work those suits).

When he finished he turned back to her and she once again lead him to his cell. As he was entering he turned back to her and leaned on the bars.

"May I ask you a question, Miss Swan?"

She finished locking the cell and put the keys in a safe place, then turned to look up at him expectantly, "What is it?"

"Has that tolerance run dry yet?"He moved closer to her, pressing up against the bars. His hands gripped it, and she had a sense that this wasn't his first time in a prison. She thought about his question.

"You sure did toe that line, I'll give you that..." she trailed off.

His face held a sense of desperation and anticipation, but he still stayed dignified. If she hadn't been closely watching him she wouldn’t have been able to tell. She decided to not keep him in misery for too long.

"But you haven't lost your chance to win it back."

Before he could relax, she continued on, "But that doesn’t mean everything is okay, Gold." She moved closer to the bars, "You beat a man half to death today. It doesn’t matter what you think he did, that isn't okay at all. I can't forgive something like that. This is like when you set the town hall on fire, I can't condone that."

She searched his eyes, trying to find even a small amount of apology there, some sort of repentance. "If you keep this up, Gold, that tolerance will easily disappear."

All teasing had left the room, there was only tension now. There was an obvious rift between them, had been since the Ashley issue and had only grown. His features were completely serious now and he stared back at her solemnly.

"I will do my best to gain your forgiveness then, Miss Swan. You can count on that."

With all her attention on him, she could deduce no lie in his statement. He was absolutely sincere and so she found herself smiling.

"We'll see, Mr. Gold. We'll see."

The next time was a few days after the Miner's festival. She's completely immersed in the missing case of Kathryn Nolan and run ragged. She doesn’t know what to do; the evidence claims that David did it, but she knows what she sees and feels and that’s that he's innocent.

She needs a break, but knows that if she even tries to leave, the Mayor will be all over her about not doing her job. She sighs and runs a hand through her blonde mane.

A thumping noise echoing in the hallway is the only thing that alerts her to his entrance. She looks up to see Mr. Gold carrying a takeout bag and a coffee cup. Her eyebrows climb up her forehead.

"Is the pawnshop taking food orders now? What's the occasion?" she asks as he sets it down. She's a tiny bit weary of what's inside, but the smell drifting over to her overrides any concern for his ulterior motives.

That isn't to say that she's completely unaware.

"Just thought I'd start working towards something more than tolerance. This is just a baby step, as it were." He smiled down at her, and she couldn’t find anything sinister in it. She took a tentative sip from the cup and almost moaned aloud at the delicious coffee. Not any of the cheap stuff found here at the office, but the good stuff from Granny's. Oh man…that hit the spot.

"Well this doesn't completely erase all the other crap you've done…but it’s a good start I suppose."

His smile widened, but she kept on. "But don’t think that superficial things like this fix the horrible things you've done. Bringing me food is all well and nice, but it's just a cop out."

He looked quizzical and a little frustrated, "Well then what do you suggest I do, Miss Swan?"

She shrugged, "Maybe be nicer to the townspeople, like with rent and stuff. Do something with meaning, help out in some way. Help in ways that really matter, you know?"

He merely stared at her blankly and she was at a loss.

"I mean, don’t get me wrong, I'm really grateful for the food. God knows I needed it, so thank you for this. But that doesn’t even begin to make up for everything else."

He gaze flickered and she wondered what he was thinking. He ended up just nodding, "I'll think about it, Miss Swan." His voice was low and a murmur. He was quiet for a moment and then swept his arm out, "Please! Eat, enjoy, Sheriff," he smiled genuinely.  "I hope I got the right order."

"Anything at this point is okay, Gold, don’t worry."

He chuckled and nodded once more. "Well I'll leave you to it then."

He turned and walked away. For a moment she had the craziest urge to call him back, invite him to sit and eat with her.

But he was already out the door and gone, and by then she had already talked herself out of it.

The next time he brought it up was when she went to him for help to prove Mary Margaret's innocence.

She was still leaning against his desk in the back room as he looked through his microscope, "So what's your price for this cooperation anyway?"

He looked up at her from the corner of his eye, "What do you mean, love? Your forgiveness is all I require." A wide grin split his face and she had to keep her own in check. Instead she rolled her eyes.

"Well since that’s not going to happen, what else do you want?"

He stared up at her in contemplation. "Is tolerance still available?"

The room was quiet and still, and it was in these moments that she believed something more than tolerance could exist between them.

"If this works…I think that’s still in the running."

He smiled, "Good. I'm glad."

She cleared her throat, "So what did you have in mind, anyway?" He spent the next half hour explaining some of his thoughts, but she didn’t leave until a couple of hours later as they got caught into an easy conversation.

She wondered about him more than once a day after that, as much as she hated to admit it. He had always been fascinating, mysterious really, but with every bit of time she spent around him extra layers were revealed to her and they didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. It drew her in, causing him to be a daily thought in her head to the point where she didn't mind it.

He was doing better with how he treated everyone around him. He was cleaning up his act and had been making an effort, an actual genuine effort, to be better.

The thing about it that was so amazing, she thought, was that he hadn't really changed. Not really. He was still himself, still continuing with his business, he just wasn't swindling people out of their good fortunes anymore. He wasn't purposely scaring the residents anymore. He was being fair and he was making progress.

That wasn't to say he wasn't a snarky little shit anymore, but hey that wasn't so bad in the scheme of things.

One thing he kept doing when he saw her was that he continued to ask for forgiveness. She still hadn't given it to him, always hesitating, despite their great rapport that they'd developed while working together on Mary Margaret's case.

She feels like if she gives it to him, then that'll be crossing that line. The one that makes them more than uneasy allies. Something that looks a little like friendship. And she doesn’t know how to feel about that, doesn’t know if she's ready for that or even wants it.

And so the dance continued. 


	48. Betrayal

48\. Betrayal

She was frozen where she stood in the doorway. She couldn’t move a  muscle. She was in complete and utter shock.

How could he do this? How could he do this to her?

Suddenly a burst of hot anger rushed through her. How _dare_ he do this to her?!

Tact be damned, she decided, and rushed forward, making her entrance as loud as possible.

"Rumplestiltskin! What do you have to say for yourself?!" She yelled. The room's occupants immediately sprung up from where they were, both with guilty expressions on their faces.

Gold eyes were wide with surprise and a touch of fear, "Emma? W-what are you doing here, love? We were just-"

She cut him off, striding farther into the room. "Don’t give me your excuses, Gold. I can't believe you did this to me!"

Gold floundered for a moment and looked at the other person next to him. They merely stared blankly back, not stepping up to help him at all. He shot them a narrowed gaze. Traitor.

"Love, I had no idea--" he reached out for his wife but she sidestepped him towards the other chair.

"Oh please! You knew I wanted to be there for her first taste of ice cream!" she picked up the little girl in the chair and cradled her in her arms, the five year old immediately hugging her mom back.

Gold pouted, "But I was hungry, dear, can you blame me?" He gave her a puppy dog pout and she just rolled her eyes at his antics.

"Whatever. Just…make another bowl."

She ignored  his smirk and held her daughter closer. 


	49. Fragile

49\. Fragile

"Emma…what are you doing?"

The blonde sheriff-slash-princess turned to look back at her husband. "Hmmm?"

Gold stepped cautiously from behind the curtain. He didn’t know what kind of mood she might be in; the hormones always had her switching from one spectrum to another without any warning. She could be angry with him one minute and jumping him the next.

She turned away from him back to what she had been studying at before he walked in. "Oh, I was just looking at this…Its beautiful, where did you find it?"

Gold stepped around the counter to stand behind her. As his eyes fell upon the item he smiled softly.

"It was your parents, actually. It was supposed to become yours, but, well, Regina happened." He reached forward and lightly touched one of the unicorns dangling from the glass mobile. It tinkled and shined in the light, dazzling the two occupants in the room.

Emma's mouth parted in surprise and she felt her heart squeeze at the thought of what she could have had. Gold seemed to sense this and he easily wrapped his arms around her slightly-showing stomach. He pressed a kiss to her hair and she smiled.

"Maybe they wouldn’t mind if we used it?" she wondered aloud.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, "I'm sure they wouldn’t, love."

She leaned back into him and placed a hand atop of his over her stomach. The small family stood in a comfortable silence as the light continued to reflect from the baby mobile. 


	50. Unbreakable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (aslfjsdlfkjf never thought you'd see another one of these did you?)

50\. Unbreakable

-x-

A silent sigh escaped her lips and she allowed a few more wisps of hair to cover her face. She had been hiding in the backroom since she had left the others, wanting a few minutes alone to herself.

'This is crazy,' Emma thought to herself. 'How on earth am I going to do this?'

"So  _this_  is the face behind the curtain," a voice interrupted her reverie. "Who would have thought I'd find the Savior hiding from her fate in  _my_  shop of all places?"

She didn’t need to turn her head to know who it was. His smug words flowed within his accent, wrapping themselves around her ear and refusing to be ignored.

"Stuff it, Gold."

"Oh now, now, now, Miss Swan, is that any way to treat your biggest supporter?" He clucked his tongue and she furrowed her brows.

Scoffing, she sent him a look of disbelief, " _You_  believe in me?" she deadpanned.

He cocked an eyebrow, his eyes wide, "Is that really so hard to believe? I did create a curse that hinged solely on your ability to break it. If that’s not faith, then I don’t know what is."

"Maybe dumb luck," she suggested.

He conceded her point with a small nod of his head. "That may be true, dearie," he began as he made his way near her. She could hear his footsteps growing louder until they were right beside her.

"However," he paused and waited until she finally glanced up at him, "I've found that, with you," he lightly shook his head, "it's always the best bet to make that you will succeed." His dark eyes bore into hers and she resisted the urge to shiver.

"Do you really think so?" she cleared her throat when it came out hoarse, shoving down the blush that accompanied it. His smirk told her he caught it regardless.

"Yes, I do, Emma."

Her name on his lips sent that shiver down her spine, forcing her to straighten it. He continued to gaze at her and she realized, not for the first time, that he  _was_  actually on her side. He always had been, even if it was 'diagonally'. She felt a grin tug at her lips.

"I'm never going to be able to shake you, am I?" she questioned.

He chuckled, "Our bond is unbreakable."

It was said in a joking manner, but they both knew the truth behind his words. She smiled at him.


	51. Royalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (WHAT??? WHAT IS THIS??? A GOLDEN SWAN UPDATE FROM ME???? CAN THIS BE REAL??? 
> 
> YES IT IS
> 
> ENJOY~)

_-x-_

51\. Royalty

Being a princess wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The fairytale books  _definitely_  got it wrong on this one.

Emma huffed as another windbag walked up to the throne area, intent on kissing the asses of the royal family. Subtly she rolled her eyes as he knelt down, practically simpering (groveling) as he paid her parents compliments. He turned to her and she withheld a shudder as his eyes dragged down her form. When he met her gaze she made sure to give him her iciest look. He immediately recoiled and turned around. She smirked.

(mwahahaha)

The night seemed to go on forever as person after person came up to the thrones. Beyond the long (never ending)line she could see others dancing. Despite her aversion to the activity (she had two left feet, okay- the genetics that gave her mother her grace must've skipped a generation or something) she could feel a tugging somewhere in her chest, like some sort of longing. Or maybe she was just hungry. She hadn't eaten since that morning and her parents wouldn't just let her get up in front of all these people- it'd be 'rude'.

She let out what seemed to be her five- _thousandth_  sigh and slouched a little farther down her chair, ignoring her mother's sharp glance. She wished something would happen, something exciting,  _anything_!

 _BAM_!

Everyone jerked in surprise as the doors to the great hall slammed open. Emma sat up, eagerly straining to see who was behind this. A giggle permeated the air and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

It seemed to take hours for the crowd to finally part, but in reality it only took him a few seconds to stride through. She blinked and there he was, standing in all his leather glory.

Rumplestiltskin.

'I still see him as Gold, though,' she thought to herself idly as he took measured steps towards the throne. Everyone's eyes were on him (and he knew it, the drama queen) and he was milking it for all he was worth. He paused for a moment, hearing everyone hold their breath to see what he'd do. He slowly turned around, facing the crowd. The people were frozen in anticipation of what would happen next. She felt herself gripping the arm rests.

Silence echoed as he continued to glare out at the sea of people. He opened his mouth and everyone unconsciously leaned forward-

"…boo-" he barely spoke it before everyone let out startled gasps and shrieks of terror. A few people fell over, crashing into others. He let out a few maniacal giggles. Emma had to hide her grin behind her hand when she saw the pompous lecher from earlier on the ground.

Charming stood up, waving his hand for everyone to go back to their activities, and nobody argued. There was, however, a noticeably sized buffer zone between the area Rumplestiltskin stood and the rest of the crowd. He paid it no mind, and instead dipped into a low bow.

"Your Majesties," he trilled. "A fine ball you have thrown, is it not? I thank you so much for your kind invitation."

Charming gave him a weird look. "We didn't invite you," he stated bluntly, despite knowing what happened to the King and Queen's daughter from the Sand when they rebuked a powerful magic wielder. He knew Rumplestiltskin well enough by now that he knew the imp wouldn't do anything to the Charmings. His one failing was that he liked them too much to do too much irreparable damage. That and he owed them for creating that damned curse.

Rumplestiltskin still feigned shock as he lifted his head from the bow, "What? Is that really what happened?"

Charming didn't say anything and Rumplestiltskin didn't intend for him to, "Well in that case," he continued quickly, "Your lovely daughter's hand in marriage would be a wonderful way to make it up to me."

Charming made a choking sound and Snow let out a squeak, very undignified for the King and Queen of the castle (but Emma remembered them as David and Mary Margaret so it wasn't too crazy). She herself was a little startled but waited for the punch line.

He didn't disappoint.

Rumplestiltskin giggled happily at their reactions. "Oh,  _alright then_ , her acceptance to join me in the next dance would suffice," he offered them as though it was a consolation prize, when in fact she bet it was his intention all along. She rolled her eyes, ignoring the little flutter of excitement in her belly as she pushed herself off the chair that she seemed to have sat in for hours (which she probably had ugh).

"If that's what'll take to get you to calm down, fine." She trudged over to him, ignoring her parent's indignation. Rumplestiltskin didn't say anything, but the intensity of his gaze made her a little nervous as she grabbed his hand and made for the dance floor, smoothing down her (stupid) dress without thinking. She kept her head high though, refusing to let him intimidate her.

He walked her to the middle of the room, and she could feel everyone's eyes on them. She could feel the back of her neck start to flush at the attention and she hated being at the center of it. Rumplestiltskin cast an evil look at the crowd, as though sensing her discomfort and wanting to ease it, and they all seemed to turn away at once, frightened that he'd put a curse on them. He turned back to her with a grin before wrapping an arm around her waist and clasping her hand in his.

She was surprised that he didn't pull her in obnoxiously close, but she remembered what a gentleman he'd always been towards her back in Storybrooke. She supposed it transferred over to Fairytaleland as well and for a moment she allowed herself to be glad for it. She rested a hand on his leather clad shoulder, took a deep breath, and followed his lead as he danced her across the room.

"You seem to know your way around a dance floor, Gold. Spend a lot of time practicing?" she teased.

He chuckled, his hand gripping her a bit tighter and she found she didn't mind. "I might ask the same of you, princess. I can't imagine you learning these steps all that willingly," his smirk was wide and obnoxious and she thought 'Ah yes, this is what I was waiting for.'

"What?" she feigned offense, "You don't think I'm into this stuff?" He cocked an eyebrow in response, amused. " _Please_ , I could this in my sleep."

And as a matter of fact she had.

…well, more like she slept through most of her dance lessons, but he didn't need to know that.

He spun her around and when she stumbled back into his arms, she resisted the childish urge to stick her tongue at him. Or stomp on his foot subtly. But she had a feeling he'd see it coming and deflect it, and she'd end up hurting herself somehow.

(He did have the Vision after all. She was sure he wasn't above using it for dumb reasons like this.)

The music continued to fluctuate and he led them through the steps easily and surprisingly gracefully. Her hand continued to stay perfectly snug within his grip, and she marveled at the sensation of warmth that emanated from it. She had heard stories about how scaly he used to look (and frightening but she honestly couldn't picture that) and she couldn't help but feel grateful that that wasn't the case anymore. His skin was smooth and she would put down good money that he had gotten rid of some wrinkles and grey hairs since they had gotten back. (she still thinks Regina probably gave them to his Storybrooke version just to piss him off)

But he still looked the same. A little taller perhaps, thanks to his newly healed leg (magic really was a big helper) and his recently healed relationship with his son. His cowardly nature seemed to be subdued by his newfound confidence ( _real_  confidence this time) and it seemed to lift a weight from his shoulders. She liked him like this. Quite a lot actually.

(but like hell would she ever tell him that, are you kidding me? He'd hold it over her forever and ugh she doesn't need that at all)

"You know you clean up quite nicely, Emma. You look every bit the princess you were born to be."

His voice tore her from her thoughts (about him) and she accidentally stepped on his foot. They stumbled for a second and she somehow ended up closer to him than before. (his hand was awfully firm on her lower back but oops she didn't find it in herself to care)

"Uh, well," she stuttered out (dammit) and bit her lip when he chuckled at her. His hand traveled up her back, gently bringing her closer and she cocked her head to the side, dragging up her confidence like a wall.

"You don't look too shabby yourself," she smirked.

He let out a genuine laugh (and her knees almost gave way because wow she never thought she'd hear that) and pressed his body right against hers.

"I might not be 'prince' material, dearie, but I know how work it," he winked at her and she bit her lip again trying not to laugh.

He spun her around and it slipped out anyway. (oops)

…..

(screw it she was having fun)


	52. Knighthood

52\. Knighthood

Regina snarled at Gold, her fist clenching at her side. He merely looked back with a simple smile on his face. She made a move to lunge at him and Emma was quick to intervene.

"I don't think so," she held the sword aloft, a clear warning attached. Regina's upper lip curled into a sneer but she stepped back regardless. She smoothed down the front of her pantsuit and proceeded to turn on her heel, but before she could actually strut away Gold just had to make one last crack.

"Once again my knight in shining armor swoops in to save me from the mean ole' Evil Queen," he directed his smirk directly at Regina but his twinkling eyes were only for Emma.

In response to his comment Regina glared daggers at the imp, practically spitting fire. Emma could only let out a huff and roll her eyes in exasperation (and maybe even a tiny bit of amusement). He never got tired of saying that, did he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short it is...i actually wrote the first draft at like 5 in the morning, but my brain won't come up with anything else, or at least my hands dont want to write anything else :( Hope ya'll liked it regardless. Again, sorry for the short length


	53. Chains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as you all know I don’t watch the show anymore but I got kinda inspired by the GS scenes that abbas-ragamuffin uploaded and wanted to do something with the time travel thing…sorta. I don’t know if this came out as good as I imagined but I thought I’d upload it anyway.

53\. Chain  
  


There is a saying that soul mates will have a red string connecting one to the other. They say the string may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. She thinks about this as she looks up at his castle, dark and daunting even in the morning light. Of course she'd end up here. She always finds him, doesn’t she? It always comes back to him, no matter what she does.

She thinks about that red string as she knocks on the door. She thinks, as the door creaks open, about how instead of a small cord, it might just be a freaking chain that connects them. That’s honestly the only explanation she can imagine as she walks cautiously into the lobby of his castle.

He hasn’t shown his face yet, but she knows he's around here somewhere. He can't resist for too long, and so she waits…and her expectations are met.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A visitor?" he tittered. "Don’t have many of those with good intentions, most come to me with bad ones." His voice took on a more sinister edge by the end of his statement but it didn’t frighten her.

She could feel his warmth on her back from where he appeared out of thin air.

"So which one are  _you_?" he growled next to her ear, her cloak still obscuring her identity and his breath from her skin. He circled her like a predator, his face never more than a few inches from hers. His eyes probed the shadows that covered her and she slowly reached up to pull the hood back. Her blonde curls shone in the dim light but he didn’t recognize her in this timeline. She knew he found her attractive, he always did, and she knew he felt a pull towards her, like a feeling of affinity, but he still didn’t know her and she knew he hated that.

"That depends," she whispered. "On which timeline this is."

He looked puzzled but he still managed to lift a brow in intrigue.

"Oh?"

She quirked a smile but it wasn't all happy. "It's a long story."

His lips pulled back to show all his teeth. "I have time."

"But I don’t."


	54. Chess

54\. Chess  


He remembers exactly when he first had the vision. It was a little after he had lost Bae and he had been switching between viciously angry and swallowed in sorrow. Everyone had suffered during that time and he had made sure of it. He mourned his son and he desperately wished for something, anything, to get him back. He needed to do something; he needed a sign, _anything_ , to show that this wasn't the end.

And then it came to him.

It came swiftly and violently, knocking him to his knees with his hands grappling on the floor. He had to catch his breath as image after image barraged his mind. But when it was over he was smiling for the first time since Bae had been taken.

It will be a war - one between good and evil. And it will begin with a curse and end with a Savior.

But it wouldn’t happen unless the first piece was set, and he was obviously going to have to be the one to start.

So he set the chess board up. He found Regina, set her up to fall, and then molded and twisted her into what her mother had needed no assistance. He aided Snow White and helped her and Charming find one another. (sometimes he'd start feeling something for these people but he'd squash it before it came to fruition. One must never sympathize with the pawns) (but damn those Charmings sure lived up to their name sometimes) He allowed himself to be locked into the prison and then he waited in the shadows for them to come to him.

It wasn't until they said her name that he finally felt like this plan of his would work. He couldn’t see her face, but he could see her future and what she was capable of.

And hope began to bloom in his chest.

' _Emma._ '

She was beautiful, a golden sight to behold, and he wished he had been prepared for this moment when he had been having his visions. (something told him even if he had seen her face before, he still wouldn’t have been ready) She was what he had been waiting for, everything he had dreamed of and more,  and he safeguarded his White Queen from the Black Queen as much as he could.

Regina was laughably oblivious to Emma's real purpose and he used that to his advantage. He built her up, backed her up, and gave her everything he had to give her strength. (she never needed him though. She was strong enough without him and that’s what he ~~loved~~ respected the most about her)

His Queen fulfilled her duty: knocking back the opposing queen and breaking the curse, crushing the king, and winning the game. And he, the Rook, continued to pull the strings from above and finally ( _finally_ ) found his lost child.

Even though there was no need at that point to continue with the chess match, he just couldn’t seem to let it go.

He remembers the vision. He remembers the name. He remembers the goal.

But he doesn’t remember seeing her overturn his game board. He wasn't ready for that and could only sit there in stunned silence as the pieces cluttered to the ground around him.

When did she become more than a chess piece? When did she become something important, someone to cherish and hold somewhere in the small space left of his shriveled back heart? Suddenly the game seemed unnecessary as she lead him away from the twisted pile of broken tokens and tangled lies he'd created in his wake. She turned his game plan on its head and he _loved_ it. For the first time in a millennia he felt that warmth build in his chest and the small embers of hope that had come from just _hearing_ her name suddenly burst into roaring flames that set him ablaze with something akin to love.

One day, years down the road, he will try to get her to play chess with him, at least once. He'll be curious to see how she fares, what her choices will be, in a match against him.

She'll shake her head, laughing, "I don’t care much for chess, to be honest."

She'll play anyway. She will beat him.

He won't be surprised whatsoever. 


	55. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Dark!Emma/Dark One!Rumple

55\. Trust  


From the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew he wasn't trustworthy. Her superpower was the ability to sniff out lies, and he was hiding so many that it was like a neon sign to her senses.

Which is why she still can't believe she put her trust in him.

It was foolish on her part; she knows this, berates herself about it all the time, but she couldn’t help herself. He was so charming, and he slipped under her skin so easily that she was blinded to anything else before it was too late.

He said he believed in her, that he had faith in her abilities. He said that she was worth something, and not just because of her heritage but from what she had built for herself. She truly believed that he had adored her for more than her magic, that she was wanted for more than her origins. Having someone say that to her, feeling wanted despite all of her jagged edges, enchanted her and made her feel loved.

She had been blinded.

Despite his claims for redemption, his soul held too much darkness. She might have been fractured, but he was broken beyond belief. She shouldn’t have tried to save him, she should have known he'd drag her down to hell.

But it had felt so _good_. The downhill slope she found herself on, the one he pushed her on, was just so addicting and delicious and she _reveled_ in it. Shame and guilt had not been present, because throughout it all she had felt beautiful. She had felt at peace and content and _alive_. And that was more than she had ever felt before and she had never wanted to let that go.

By the time she realized where she was headed it was too late to even try.

"You should have never trusted me, love," he said, tracing the curve of her cheek with a finger, his eyes dark with mischief and wickedness.

"I know," she smirked, feeling the black magic swirl around them.


	56. Sword

56\. Sword

"You know…you look quite fetching in that, Miss Swan."

She quirked a brow at him, amusement and surprise warring within her green eyes.

"Oh really? And why is that, Gold?"

He shrugged, his expression playful as he smiled shyly over at her.

"There's just something about a woman who can go from wielding magic to carrying a sword."

"That's a euphemism for something else if I've ever heard one."

He tapped a foot, "Is that a bad thing, dearie?"

She shrugged this time, "Nope." Her mouth stretched into a mischievous grin to mirror his own.


	57. Bliss

57\. Bliss  


"So how do you think they're doing?"

"To be honest with you, Snow…I really don’t want to think about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd just really rather not think about my daughter on her honeymoon…especially with…" A shudder.

"Charming! That’s not what I meant! I just meant…do you think they're…having a nice time?" A cringe. "Yea, okay, I see your point. Bad choice of words." A pause. "I just…I just hope she's happy, you know?"

"Yea, I know what you mean. After everything, Emma deserves some happiness. Even if it is with… _him_."

"Will you two ever be friends?"

"Snow, he stole my sword! Not to mention, he basically took my daughter away…"

"Oh sweetie…"

"But…I love Emma, so…I hope they are happy…wherever they are."

"Yea…I'm sure wherever they are, they're enjoying their wedding bliss."

-x-

"GOLD! Did you seriously eat all of the ice cream already?"

"I couldn’t wait, dear, I'm so sorry."

Loud sigh. A pout. "I really wanted some, too."

A slip of arms around a tiny waist. "Then we can just get some more, love." A kiss pressed against the crook of a neck.

"Oh don’t think I'm onto you, mister. You'll just end up eating it all again."

"Yes, probably, but at least it'll be more fun this time around, if you know what I mean."

"Are you wiggling your eyebrows at me?"

"…Maybe. Is it working?"

"…yes." A pause. "Alright, fine, you win, Gold. Let's go get some more ice cream."

"I love you, Mrs. Gold."

"Yea, yea. You'd probably love Hook too if he bought you ice cream."


	58. Torment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I wanted to try my hand at a Neverland arc fic, so heres this. I didnt watch the 3rd season, only saw the first ep, so this is definitely AU. I got some of my inspiration from JayJ1's 'Seeing is Believing' and other stories so go check their stuff out :))

58\. Torment

-x-

She was back.

Well, that’s not true. Technically she never actually left. She was always there, in the corner of his eye, in the nooks of his mind, always hovering near.

"Why her?" Pan asks, his feet floating by the lowest branch of the closest tree. "I thought the beauty had captured your beast heart."

Rumplestiltskin shook his head, trying to clear it. But she was still there, by the crook of his elbow, settled next to his heart. He tried to turn his back on her but she was right there.

Pan chuckled, leaning back in the air, his posture relaxed and in control. It made Rumple want  to break him in half.

"It’s a bit funny, actually. _Poetic_ , really. The Dark One enamored with the Savior? You could write hundreds of songs, sing thousands of tales about this tragedy."

Rumple tried to ignore the child's grating voice, tried to look away from the woman that stood directly in front of him, but he was stuck. Dark deep pools of green held him captive in a trance. He felt his heart beat faster, despite what he knew.

A swoosh sound echoed and Rumple's hair rustled as Pan's words snuck over his shoulder. "Because that’s what this is, isn't it, Crocodile? _A tragedy_. A story of unrequited love, of _ridiculous_ love." The cold chill of Pan's body switched to Rumple's other side. "And you, you're so spoiled. Having the love of one woman and desiring another? You've always longed for the impossible, haven't you? Its why you're here now. Its why you're stuck with this curse; why your son is _gone_ ," Pan's voice turned into a snarl on the last word, practically spitting venom into Rumple's hair. However, it didn’t faze Rumple, who continued to stare into those green eyes in front of him. The ones that didn’t show any depth of emotion, no flicker of a challenge, no spark of courage. They were docile and matched the serene expression on the wearer's face. Rumple actually felt something break inside him.

Pan continued behind him, aware of Rumple's inner conflict, aware of his thoughts. "All of that work, all of that planning. And yet you'd throw it away, here and now, wouldn’t you? For her?" Pan left his spot behind Rumple, the warmth that had been kept away by his presence flooding back into Rumple's skin. The boy floated behind the illusion, behind the Savior. He looked directly into Rumple's eyes above her shoulders.

"Could the Savior ever love the Dark One, I wonder?" his pale fingers reached out for a lock of hair, twisting it around his palm and wrist and bringing it to his young face. He breathed her in and Rumple wanted to rip him apart. The green eyes didn’t change and that made it somehow worse.

A growl rumbled from somewhere close and a wicked smirk flickered across Pan's face as they both realized it came from Rumple's chest.

"Now, now, Rumplestiltskin, play nice. All of this hinges on you, remember? What would your beau say if she knew her family's _charming_ plan was ruined because of you?" Pan paused, a thought seemingly coming to him, but Rumple knew better. "Wait…does she even _know_?" Pan studied Rumple's face, unnecessarily, "No, I suppose not. I bet you've kept this well hidden, haven't you?"

A long drawn out silence overtook the small open area in the woods that they stood in. Even if he wanted to, Rumple didn’t think he could speak, much less retaliate.

"Tell me something," Pan stepped out from behind the figure, his fingers sliding through her hair. Her green eyes continued to stare blankly at Rumple, not heeding the move. "Did you know?"

Rumple finally managed to tear his gaze away, snapping over to where Pan was gliding from branch to branch, his young face serious, but the small curl of his lips betraying him.

"Know what?" Rumple growled, his voice hoarse and sounding like it was ripped from his throat. He was shocked he was able to say even that.

"When you first had your vision of her, when you first thought of the curse, did you know?"

Rumple stared at him, forcing his gaze to be blank, knowing it was futile to hide his thoughts but wanting to try anyway.

Pan's small smile widened and his body floated downward sharply until he was nose to nose with Rumplestiltskin. The green eyes disappeared, the blonde hair vanishing, as the illusion was dashed. Rumple felt sick at the longing that curled in his belly, that begged for them to come back and fill his vision. Pan's twisted grin grew more wicked, if possible, and he laughed in the Dark One's face.

"Oh, my dear Crocodile. You're just a bloody mess, aren't you?"

-x-


	59. Solace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (continuation of 'Kindness', 'Hope', and 'Creative'. I think I might make this into a series idk)

-x-

Gold was pissed.

To be honest though, Emma wasn't that surprised. In fact, she'd be surprised if he wasn't. Having someone lie to him was bad enough, but about being his son of all things? No, Neal was lucky he hadn't been incinerated on the spot at this point.

She couldn't say she was shocked about Neal's lying though, because his track record kind of proved his capability of it. She was just still reeling from it all, couldn't believe that Neal could have lied about such a thing.

She couldn't believe the amount of relief she felt either. When Neal had claimed to be Baelfire- to be Gold's  _son_ …it threw her world off its axis. She should've known from the start though. Her lie detector must have been disabled from the craziness of it all. It had to have been.

So while  _she_  was in shock… _Gold_  was ready to bludgeon someone with his cane.

Thanks to his amazing healing abilities, he had the strength to do so now, so she had to be careful and make sure he didn't just conk Neal over the head and be done with it. Neal was still Henry's dad…it wouldn't do for the kid to see his dad die already, just when he finally got to meet him.

Still, she wouldn't lie and say wasn't half tempted to let Gold do it.

They were on their way back to Storybrooke now, Henry squeezed between Neal and a hook-less pirate. Hook knew that he was outnumbered in every way and was smart enough not to pull anything. Emma made sure he saw the gun she casually put in the glove box when they got into the car. Neal had his fists and flexed his muscles every time he glared over at him. And Gold…well, he still had his cane. Enough said.

They refused to leave Hook to his own devices, otherwise they would have just left him to his ship. None of them trusted him to actually take them back to Storybrooke, so they didn't catch a ride back on his ship either. So they were stuck squished in the car.

It was an even more awkward road trip than last time- even worse than that elevator ride. The plane ride back even more hellish (though it was entertaining to see Hook having to go through many a security search and seeing his distraught look every time). Emma would be glad when they finally got back and she could get the hell out of here (and have Hook locked the fuck away in jail).

Gold was in the passenger seat as she drove the car. She knew he was healed but she still didn't want him driving and he allowed her to take the keys from him. After the name debacle at the hospital, the mood between them had mellowed out and that hesitant friendship that had begun to bloom many a time before had begun to grow again.

They were allies now. They were probably friends. They were (desperate), kindred souls.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see his knuckles turning white as he clutched his cane between his knees. She knew he hated coming back with nothing to show.

Emma glanced into the rearview mirror, catching sight of Neal. She sighed. ' _Nothing of value at least_ ', she thought bitterly. She could have gone the rest of her life without seeing that bastard again. And the fact that he was still up to his lying, betraying ways? The kicker to an otherwise awful quest.

There was, however, still a niggling feeling in regards to Neal and the identity of Baelfire. Neal knew something. There was a look in his eye, a shift in his demeanor that set her radar off now, that told her there was more to his knowledge of the subject than he let on.

If she were a betting woman (which, as a rule, she chooses not to be), she would say he knew where and who Baelfire is. (Especially since he knew enough of Baelfire to pretend to be him and fooled the freaking Dark One.)

So she had Neal under extreme scrutiny, and was biding her time to fully interrogate him some more.

But not now. It wasn't the right time.

Henry had just been reunited with  _his_  father, and she didn't want to ruin his joy too much. He was already aware of what a liar and cheat he was, he didn't need to know the true extent, though she knew Henry was already upset at knowing what Neal had done to Emma all those years ago.

Not to mention, she just didn't think Gold was up to anything more. She didn't think he could handle anything further without a long discussion. His intensity and his desperation was dangerous and it wouldn't help him in the long run. She needed to talk to him.

When they finally got back, it was dinnertime. Everyone was cranky in the car, but Henry had tried to lighten it up by playing games, though only Neal and Emma made an attempt to join (though she refused to directly answer or talk to Neal). So that was a bust and the mood stayed grumpy.

After dropping Hook off in the jail and her and Gold taking measures to make sure no one would be breaking him out, they all made their way back to the Charmings apartment, Gold more reluctantly than the rest (but she made sure he knew he was welcome and that he kind of had no choice in the matter).

Suffice to say, her parents were really shocked when all was revealed.

And, Emma was happy to note, both were very wary of Neal and while they were polite (because they weren't called the Charmings for nothing), Emma could tell that they didn't trust him nor particularly liked him. It made her breathe easier knowing that she was being supported by her family. Even Henry, while excited to meet his dad, still seemed to be on her side more (he had always been mature for his age, and she knew he had put the puzzle together to understand how things were as they are now- he had a pretty good understanding of why Emma did what she did and Neal's part in it all).

And despite their past differences, Mary Margaret and David still made sure to tell Gold how sorry they were that he didn't find his son. They had their issues in the past, God knows, but the look of pure anguish in his eyes tugged at their hearts, and they knew firsthand the pain of being separated from their child so they could relate.

By the time everything had settled, they had managed to settle Neal on the couch and she elected to walk Gold to his car. He sent her a look of confusion but said nothing as she followed him out the door.

She ignored Neal's burning gaze in her back. He didn't deserve the explanation he was dying for. She didn't even want to acknowledge him at this point, to be honest.

So she and Gold took the flight of stairs downstairs all in silence, and it wasn't until they reached his car that she spoke.

"It's not over," she said, her voice like an axe to ice in the night air. "You know that right?" she turned on her heel to stand in his way of getting to the car. Their bodies were close and once again she chose to ignore that (and the blush climbing the back of her neck).

He studied her, his gaze piercing, "And what is it that you are referring to, Miss Swan? You and I have many things left unsaid and unfinished."

She had to give him that, they did, in fact, have many loose ends, but she didn't want to focus on that right now.

"I'm talking about finding your son."

He flinched like she had physically hit him. She couldn't help but compare him to a wounded animal, one that had been beaten one too many times. He looked tired.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that it really is, Emma." His voice was soft and for once she believed him to be truly open and honest with her. While this thrilled her, this sincerity, it broke her heart to see him so broken.

"It's  _not_ ," she stressed, "I'm going to help you, Gold. I refuse to let this be the end. You may be an arrogant bastard most of the time, but I don't think you deserve to be unhappy. And if finding your son means that much to you, then I'm not gonna stop looking for him."

He gazed down at her, their eyes more or less at eye level with her boots on, and watched as she set her jaw and gained that glint in her eye that said she was determined and come hell or high water she was going to accomplish what she set out to do.

He's always admired her stubbornness- as frustrating as it can be at times.

But in this moment, her stubbornness gave him something. As the light from a nearby streetlight shined down on them, her hair lit up in the night and her eyes sparkled at him.

And in the face of her stubbornness to succeed, to help him, he felt hope spark within the depths of his soul.

With the Savior backing him up like this, how could he lose.

For the first time in what felt like ages, he feels light and hopeful and an actual smile (not a smirk) reveals itself to Emma.

There wasn't a better comfort than knowing he had Emma on his side.

-x-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I didn't give this a second look over so please excuse any mistakes. So sorry about the long ass wait)


	60. Illusion

****

  1. Illusion



Her eyes fluttered open to a light blinding her. Groaning, she tried moving her muscles but it was like moving through mud- she couldn’t.

After taking a moment to regain her bearings, her limbs finally started working with her and she sat up.

She was in a forest. The trees stood tall and sunlight filtered through the leaves high above her, creating a glow on the forest floor. The air was fresh and clean and she inhaled a lung full of it.

It was so peaceful.

Why was she here?

How did she even get here?

Where was here?

"This is your sanctuary, dearie."

Emma jerked, turning her head quickly to the side to see Rumplestiltskin standing a couple feet away. He was leaning against a tree, his mouth quirked at the edges as he regarded her still sitting on the ground. She felt her heart give a thump at the sight of him.

She had missed him. It felt like it had been ages since she'd last seen him. It probably was.

"What happened, Gold?"

Her voice was hoarse from disuse and it made her wonder why. She didn’t remember doing anything to be the cause of such a thing.

His eyes softened at her.

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head, feeling lost as she felt the ground beneath her begin to grow cold.

Blinking her eyes, he was suddenly gone from her vision. She felt panic begin to bloom in her chest before his voice, closer and right behind her, sounded once more.

"You saved the town once again. But you lost yourself- you made the ultimate sacrifice."

She turned to look up at him. He stood closer, almost towering over her.

"Am I dead?"

He chuckled, but it barely held any humor in it.

"No, dearie. You are very much alive."

He finally took a step closer to her and then lowered himself next to her. Bringing his knees up, he rested his forearms against them. His gold eyes stared out into the trees, though there was nothing to see that she could tell.

There was a sadness clinging to him that made her ask the next question: "Are you real?"

His smile grew and the twinkle that sparkled in his eyes made it seem actually genuine. "Yes, love I am…well…in a way."

She shook her head in confusion, "What does that mean?"

"While I am real, I am also not."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I am the Dark One, dear."

Her brow furrowed. "I am aware, Gold."

He shook his head, "No, you don't." He sounded frustrated. "When you grabbed the dagger, the darkness fled to you, latching onto your light. Emma…you're the new Dark One."

Blood rushed in her ears as her heart plummeted in her ribcage. Her vision shrunk to a needlepoint and she felt her breath grow heavy. She worried for a moment that she'd pass out, but then almost laughed because, how could she pass out in her own mind?

Because this was her mind. This place wasn’t real. She knew that.

"Are you alive, Gold?"

Her voice was small and she wouldn’t admit it, but she was terrified of the answer.

His eyes were intense as stayed on her, studying her expression and taking her in. It made her nervous and impatient.

"Gold?"

"I'm still alive."

"How is that possible though? I thought-"

"Things are different, dearie. You've changed things, that's almost entirely certain at this point. The Dark One's curse…the rules are different now. And that's because of you."

"But what did I do?"

He shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. You continue to be a mystery to me, dear."

"But you're not really Gold, are you?"

He shook his head, "No. I am the Dark One embodied. Usually I take on the form of the previous host, and in this case it was Rumplestiltskin."

"But the rules have changed?"

"Yes. It also seems that I am also a part of _your_ subconscious."

"So we are in my mind?"

"It would appear so, yes."

"This is weird. I don’t know how I feel about you, of all people, being in my mind."

"It’s a little disconcerting for me too, dearie."

She cracked a wry smile.

"So what now?"

He let out a giant sigh. " _Well_ ," leaning back on his hands, he tilted his head back to allow the sun to warm him. His skin sparkled in the light and she found herself dazzled by it for a moment. "You need to make a choice."

"What kind of choice?"

He rolled his head along his shoulders to meet her eyes. "It’s a matter of the heart, dearie. When you come out of this place, what do you want to be? Will you fight? Or will you succumb to this darkness?"

Taking even breaths, she stared back at him for a moment before turning to look at the ground.

"Do I have any other choices?"

"What other choice is there?"

"Isn't there a way to harness it? Use it for good?"

He laughed but it was an ugly thing and she flinched at the harshness of it.

"Dearie, you cannot control the darkness. Trust me, I've tried."

Energy rushed through her and it made her get up onto her knees to face him.

"But, I'm the Savior, right? Shouldn’t I have something in me that could…that could help me or something? I'm the product of True Love. I have magic in me already- that should count for something!"

He looked pensive at her outburst, but she knew he was taking her seriously…as seriously as her own mind could take her.

"You told me once that I was powerful. Did you mean it?" She didn’t realize what she was doing until her hand touched his. He briefly flinched but almost immediately relaxed in her hold and she found herself keeping her hand there, surrounding his, keeping it warm.

His fingers curled against her palm.

"I do. I've always meant it. I've always believed it."

Her grip tightened. "Then believe in me now."

He smirked. "I guess if anyone could beat an unbreakable curse, it'd be you, dearie."

She grinned back, feeling life flow back into her. The forest grew dark, but she knew it was only a matter of time before that changed.

"You're damn right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for @abbas-ragamuffin as a belated bday gift. It was supposed to have more dark swan but this ended up being more pre-dark swan transition than anything else. I'm gonna prob end up writing more for it tho so don't worry :)


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